Investigations into the Nature, Causation, and Prevention of Texas or Southern Cattle Fever Page: 21
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THE NATURE OF TEXAS CATTLE FEVER.
Symptoms referable to disturbances of the brain and the spinal cord
were rarely noted. They usually manifested themselves in partial loss
of vision, delirium, staggering gait, and swaying of the hind quarters.
These latter may in part be referred to the great weakness which cat-
tle manifest after some days of fever and perhaps to the oedema around
the kidneys. This weakness may become so great that they will be
unable to rise even when urged. When standing there may be noted
a trembling of the muscles especially of the hind quarters and limbs.
Icterus or jaundice has not been noted in any case during life.
Another character of this disease, the most constant and valuable
of all and of which the haemoglobinuria or " red water " is but a part,
is the thinness of the blood. A more thorough discussion of its con-
dition will be given further on. In this connection we only mention
those phenomena which can be witnessed by the naked eye. Soon
after the high temperature sets in, the blood begins to grow thin and
after some days of fever it has become very pale and watery. An in-
cision into the skin readily shows this to be the case. The difference
between the drop of rich red blood issuing from a slight cut of the skin
in healthy cattle and the thin, pale drop oozing from such a cut in
Texas fever is very marked. This difference is due to the loss of red
corpuscles which give the blood its characteristic color. Associated
with this there may be in some cases a marked bloodlessness of the
skin in the later stages. A number of small incisions are often required
to obtain a few drops of blood. In some cases shortly before death the
blood slowly trickles from a slight incision for some time before it is
checked by the natural process of coagulation.
When freshly-drawn blood is allowed to stand the serum forced out
of the clot has in the acute stage a very dark-red color, indicating the
presence of much coloring matter in solution. As regards the coagula-
bility, which some observers have regarded as feeble, we have no facts
pointing in one direction. In a few cases the coagulation appeared
retarded; in others it appeared to be normal in rapidity and effective-
ness. As will be seen further on, the condition of the blood must vary
considerably from time to time. At one time it may contain the debris
of destroyed corpuscles equal in number to one-tenth, or even one-fifth,
of all circulating in the body. That under such circumstances its coag-
ulability may be affected is evident. Frequently, however, the blood
comes under observation when the destruction of red corpuscles has
ceased and the products have either been excreted or metamorphosed.
In this way conflicting observations may perhaps be harmonized. In
general, we may say that the coagulability of the blood is not much
altered.
We have thus briefly sketched the symptoms of an acute attack of
Texas fever and noted three important diagnostic features, high tem-
perature (or fever), ha moglobinuria (or red water), and thinness of the21
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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/m1/21/?q=%221863%22&rotate=0: 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.