Investigations into the Nature, Causation, and Prevention of Texas or Southern Cattle Fever Page: 126
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126 TEXAS OR SOUTHERN CATTLE FEVER.
that two natives, placed with such cases as controls, remained well, as
is indicated in the annexed table:
Quantity
of blood in- Source of
Date. No. jetlood in to blood. Rf Iemarks.
vein.
1892.
July 6 198 28 ce ...N. N. C. cow, 217 . Disease begins July 13. Cow dead July 19.
July 6 206 28 cc........ N. C. cow, 216. Disease begins July 13. Acute attack followed by re-
lapse in September. Recovery.
July 16 219 28 cc........ N. C. cow. 216. Disease begins July 13. Acute attack followed by re-
lapse in September. Recovery.
Aug. 15 222 28 cc .... N. C. cow, 214 . Disease begins August 18. Recovery.
Sept. 9 230 28 cc.......N. C. cow, 214. Disease begins September 14. Recovery.
July 16 218 .............. i............... October 1, exposure negative.
Aug. 15 221 .......................... October 1, exposure negative.
The disease began in ,this field as early as July 13. Five animals
had passed through the disease and one had died on it. The control
No. 218 had been in it from July 16, i. e., 77 days up to October 1 with-
out manifesting the slightest signs of infection. The second control
spent 46 days in this inclos ure up to October 1, with the same negative
outcome.
MAY TEXAS FEVER BE COMMUNICATED BY AGENCIES OTHER THAN
THE CATTLE TICK?.
We have seen in the foregoing pages that the transmission of Texas
cattle fever may be prevented entirely by removing the ticks from
Southern cattle in such a way that a new generation is suppressed.
We have likewise seen that sick natives may remain in the same in-
closure with healthy natives for months without transmitting the dis-
ease to them, provided the sick natives have no ticks on them, or, in
other words, provided the disease has been produced by direct inocu-
lation. These facts go far toward bringing Vs to the conclusion that
no outbreaks of Texas fever are produced without ticks. Yet we can
not deny the possibility of a conveyance of the disease by other agen-
cies, for this possibility is demonstrated by the fact that by a direct
transf'errence of blood from sick natives, and even from healthy South-
ern animals, the disease may be reproduced with all its characteristic
virulence. We know as yet so little of the ectogenic life of the Texas
fever parasite that whatever hypotheses may be made must remain
such until our knowledge has become more defined. Meanwhile we
may formulate certain possibilities of transmission without the aid of
the cattle tick to call the attention of future observers to them.
It is possible that the disease may be conveyed by insects, which
pierce the skin and draw blood. Such pests, when moving from sick
to healthy animals very rapidly, may carry enough blood on their
mouth Darts to inoculate healthy animals. But under such circum-
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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/m1/126/?q=%221863%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.