Investigations into the Nature, Causation, and Prevention of Texas or Southern Cattle Fever Page: 22
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TEXAS OR SOUTHERN CATTLE FEVER.
blood (or destruction of red corpuscles). The last is the most constant,
and, in fact, the one essential character of Texas fever Among the
other less important symptoms and appearances, many of which are
always associated with one or the other of those mentioned, are dry,
hot skin, high rate of pulse and respiration, loss of appetite, cessation
of rumination and of milk secretion, constipation, hyperaemia followed
by bloodlessness of the skin and mucous membranes.
The course and the duration of the disease are subject to variations.
We have seen that it begins somewhat abruptly with a high tempera-
ture, runs its course in a few days, and terminates fatally, or else it
disappears as quickly. In the latter case the disease is followed by a
period of great debility, owing to the impoverished condition of the
blood and the degenerative processes set up in the various vital or-
gans, and not infrequently by relapses. Some animals never fully re-
cover; in others recovery takes place after weeks and months.
The duration of the disease varies more or less, but the continuous
high temperature rarely lasts longer than eight to ten days. The fatal
termination may take place in the height of the fever-that is to say,
four or five days after the appearance of a high morning temperature,
and may be the direct result of the derangement of the vital functions,
due to the rapid destruction of red corpuscles by the microorganism,
or it may take place after the fever has subsided, when the animal fails
to rally from the shock imparted to the system and from the drain of
its blood-forming resources. If we take as our starting point of the
fever the first high morning temperature death may ensue from four to
fourteen days thereafter, or it may be delayed still longer, when the
animal dies slowly of exhaustion. The period of disease for such as
recover is practically the same. A fever period of eight to ten days
is followed by a period of normal or subnormal temperature. The
falling of the temperature marks the end of the destruction of red
blood corpuscles and the disappearance of the parasite from the blood.
The subject of relapses and secondary attacks during the season by
which the period of disease as a whole may be prolonged into months
is discussed on page 23.
The mortality from southern cattle fever varies greatly, as will be
seen in the following pages on the mild chronic form of the disease.
The time of the outbreak will largely decide whether practically all the
attacked animals die or all survive. A midsummer outbreak, when
acute in its nature, is the most fatal. From this there may be all
gradations towards the mild nonfatal form of late autumn.
MILD, NONFATAL OR CHRONIC TYPE.
This type of southern cattle fever has hitherto remained unobserved.
The reason for this is quite simple. It can be recognized only by an
examination of the blood, which must determine the presence of the22
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Smith, Theobold & Kilborne, Fred Lucius. Investigations into the Nature, Causation, and Prevention of Texas or Southern Cattle Fever, book, 1893; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143538/m1/22/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.