The New York Herald Newspaper, October 24, 1872, Page 3

“THE POOR BEASTS.” — Fifteen Thousand Horses Stricken with Chills and Fever. AN ALARMING PESTILENCE. Manhattan Island Turned Into a Vast Horse Hospital. The Street Railroads, Stage Companies, Pri- vate Livery Stables, Express Companies avd Mannfactories Deprived of Half Their Equine Working Force. A Mrnggle Over the Bodies of the Horses Be- ,. Seen Homeopathy and Allopathy. Diphtheria Among the Fire De- ' | partment Teams. Hot Ram and Butter, Aconite, Belladonna and Perspiration Suggested as Remedies. Local Traffic Must Cease if the Distem- per Continues to Spread. ‘The pestilence among the horses is rapidly grow- Ing in the strength of its destruction, and there are Row not less than fifteen thousand cases requiring medical treatment. It is impossible to form any Mea of the duration of the disease, which, although Ot is of a troublesome nature, has not as yet proved @ a fatal nature in a single instance. This may, Probably, be accounted for by the necessary pre- cautions that have generally been taken and the en- re absence of any attempt at the heroic treatment, ‘Throughout the city everybody was discussing ‘the ‘horse disease, the mode of treatment and the ‘anfortunate condition of their neighbors’ stables. { general the human race have rather @ weak- Bess for recounting their mishaps, but on the sub- fect of horsefesh the tables appear to be turned. Mf you want to know how Mr. Smith’s horses are you have to go to Mr. Jones, across the way, and vice versa. The disease appeared yesterday in its most hideous form, as the streets ‘Were crowded with infected horses. The public, they say, must be accommodated, and therefore poor sick brutes, that are an eyesore in the streets, @re harnessed up and driven their daily jour mey. The Commissioners of Charities and Correction, however, ought to set a good example and not allow one of their ‘Wagons to be paraded through the streets, drawn by an animal in the most advancea state of the @isease, with a revolting discharge of a greenish Quid from the nostrils. If Mr. Bergh had been around the streets yesterday he could have done some genuine good to the brute creation. ‘Numbers of stage horses, car horses, dray horses, nd even private carriage horses exhibited symp- toms of an advanced nature. The hack horses on the stands coughed with painful exertion as they stood patiently awaiting the orders of the driver, ‘who would never let them rest as longas there was ® chance of earning a dollar. As yet no definite and concise opinion ofthe exact @Bature of the disease has been arrived at by the veterinary surgeons, and although they all agree that it is a species of catarrnal affection, there are the most diverse opinions as to whether it resulted from something peculiar in the air, or whether it ‘was contagious and was brought to the city by pome horse from other infected towns. Belladonna $s still largely used in connection with tar, and the general treatment in the car and stage stables is confined to some simple food of a laxative na- ture mixed with their feed and water. The ‘well-known veterinary surgeons, such as Professor Copelan, Leotard and Lockhart are in immense de- gmand, and have more orders than they can possi- bly attend to. They appear to agree that there is very little danger in the disease, if the affected ani- mal is given rest and proper treatment, but that they cannot say how long it will last. Some aver that it is only a mild catarrhal fever, that will last about ten days. ‘Travel in the city has not thus far been impeded ito any great extent, as the car companies and stage proprietors appear determined to run their Cars and stages at all hazards. Numbers of the orses that were working yesterday on the public thoroughfares, indeed fully one half, should have been in the stable undergoing treatment. Some cars have been taken off in the different lines— about one hundred and fifty in all—giving a little 0 time to wait between trips, but as yet it has not interfered with the comfort of the travel- ing public. Some few stages—about forty all ‘told—are also at rest tor the present, and their nce was noticeable yesterday by an unusual srowding of those in use. Alarming stories are going the rounds of the city, the effect that the infectious nature of the dis. ease is not confined to the horse alone, but is also transmitted to the human belng. However strange this story may appear, there are, it is said, a num- ber of instances in this city where the master has taken the disease from the horse. If such is really ithe case there must be something of glanders or phtheria connected with it. This matter should once be investigated by some eminent physi- ns, in order to set the question at rest, or else the poor horse will not receive the proper amount of attention. The disease appears to be very generally dis- tributed throughout the city, as news comes in m all quarters of fresh cases. Brooklyn and jersey City have been visited by this plague, . their car horses are in a bad way. mbers of private stables have been con- ed into “hospitals in the past twenty- hours, and it appears an invariable rule t when one horse has been taken with the dis- e all the others have also suffered. Mr. Bon- 's stable has as yet escaped, although there @ report yesterday morning that Poca- tas «was affected. Mr. Platt’s and ad- ing stables in the same street were free from disease yesterday. Mr. George ’s entire stable are now under the hands of veterinary surgeon, and Clarence, a trotting » belonging to Mr. Page, of Brooklyn, has also into hospital. Many gentlemen have taken by the forelock,” and by proper use of disin- nts and Jaxative diet have kept their stables free from disease. To-day will probably bring out some fresh fea- in the disease that may throw some light on its source and enable the veterinary surgeons © form an idea of the most efficacious way to Y and thoroughly root out the poison in the Im a Bleecker Street Car. ‘The Heap Horse Plague Commissioner having en ordered to make a close and searching investi- ion into the extent of the distemper now raging ost universally among the horses of this city, B operations by stepping into a Bleecker car at the corner of Ann street Broadway yesterday morning. The car & gloomy aspect—there is always a aspect about @ Bleecker street car, the ess arising from the outrageous combina- of colors—Irish green and English red—that we the cars. All the conductors on the street cars are philosophers, and drivers are satirists by nature, The Lp Plague Commissioner jumped over baskets, a female dog. and ran against a ome NEW 8, out ni: self. began to cough in Chowan vrotenitis and they were hardly able to turn around the corner—one of the numerous cor- 7m arriving at the. depot of the Bleed! n arriving ai le ker street line, which 18 located Ay the foot of Fourteenth street, North River, the Commissioner made in- quite in the office of the depot of the company tor the Superintendent. The Superintendent was not in a clerk said, and added, sup that the Com- minyoner wi to be placed on a car a8 a con- juctor, “What do youwant? He is notin now.” “I want fi as to the spread of the dis- temper among your horses.”’ CLERK—“Oh you do—do you? Well, go in to the ard there and look for Roberts, the stable boss; knows eve! about the di 7 The Commi: ir waiked back through the yard and a number of drivers and conductors and the be ag were Sees the new pease. war ever gentleman a blon face and a nud of tobaees was found up to his shoulders business, He was civil, suspicious and brief, e great trouble in obtaining informa- tion at the horse railroad depots is that the ofi- cials believe that the knowl that a great num- ber of horses are about to die will depreciate the value of the stock of the company. COMMISSION! are the horses to-day ? Mr. Roserts—Well, we haven't many sick; about twenty, I think. COMMISSIONER—Are they ruening at the nostrils ? Mr. RoBERTS—A few of them, but then we take care of the horses on this line, and treat them like human beings. If a man has a cold he ought to be kept away from chills. 1 have every drink warmed and give them a plenty of hot mash, and these are the safest remedies, COMMISSIONER—How many horses and cars have you on this line? Mr. RopeRTs—We have four hundred odd horses and we run forty odd cars. CoMMISSIONER—Have you taken any horses off the cars to-day? Mr. RoseRTs—Only a few. Any horse that’s off his feed why we won’t let him work. If a horse can’t eat his feed for two or three days why, of course, he will be too weak to work. On the Belt Line of Cars. The Commissioner bade Mr. Roberts good-day and jumped on a car of the Tenth Avenue Belt Line which was passing at the time. The conductor was quite friendly, and, being questioned, stated that two or three cars on the line had to be stopped, as the horses were coughing so badly and Were 80 much out of breath that they could not araw the cars. There was considerable conversation among the passengers on this line, two female pas- sengers declaring that it was dangerous to inhale the breath of the horses, as diphtheria was catching. At the depot of this line, which has a very large number of horaes and cars, there was general dis- may and irritation about the prevalence of the new and unaccountable disorder. As usual, the Com- missioner was suspected of looking for a conduc- tor’s position by the clerks; but there was one clerk more courteous than the rest who said “Go back into the stable and ask for Mr. D. F. Root—he is the superintendent, and is now looking after the sick horses.” Mr. Root, a good looking, sensible-speaking gen- tleman, was found up an inclined plane in the sec- ond story, which had the appearance of a hospital, as numbers of the poor sainats were earnestly en- gaged in congbing out their lungs among the straw and feed. This is a vast establishment, and is well reguiated by Mr. Root. He said:— “This thing first became known to us on Monday afternoon, e horses began to cough and seemed affected by something new to us. We have ninety- nine cars and 990 horses on this road, west and east sides of the city. We heard the coughing all over the stable, We have about sixty cases among the horses affected by this complaint. We have been cleaning up the stable, and bad used chloride of lime and assafetida. It is a sert of lung fever, and I think that the bronchial tubes are aifected. We give them bran.” COMMISSIONER—What remedies do you use ? Mr. RooT—Well, lam using just now a harts- horn liniment which we rub the glands with. Iam not a veterinary surgeon, but I have had consider- able experience among horses for many years. [ think that this fever will get worse before it gets better. We have not lott. amy.borses as yet, and we do not Calculate to fese- any from the present symptoms. COMMISSIONER—What do you value your horses at on an estimated average, Mr. Koot ? Mr. Roor—Well, | think it would be safe to say $165 to $185 a piece. The last figure is safest, At this stable Mr. Root is taking the most sensi- ble and reasonabie precautions to do away with thus terrible affliction, which may result in an utter prostration of business throughout the city, Yet there is no doubt that one-third of the Belt Line of horses are coughing badly and are ailected, at least, to a slight extent. The Grand and Forty-Second Street Line. Our Commissioner next paid a visit to the depot of the Grand, Houston and Forty-second street line, which 18 situated at the foot of Forty- second street, North River. The Com- missioner ascended the wide and cleanly stairs and made inquiries for the Superintendent, who is invariably known in all these railroad buildings as the “Super.” The “Super.’’ was not in, and again the Commissioner had to undergo investigation and scrutiny as a suspected applicant for a vacant conductorship. The “Receiver,” who takes in all the small stamps from the conductors, was in good spirits, and did not cough once while in conversation. He directed the Commissioner to inquire for Mr. Chalmers, the ‘stable boss,’ who was not to be found at the time, or he was, no doubt, looking for medicines for his consumptive nags. “How many horses have you which are sick?’ was the question asked of the Receiver, who un- Swered quite cheerfully, as @ surgeon would after a day’s work on a bloody battle feid:— “Oh, not many; we took twenty horses off this morning. One-third of the horses are sick and coughing, but there is nothing serious, I believe.” As Mr. Chalmers could not be found, the Commis- sioner directed to see ‘Old Pete,” a veteran of one hundred cases of spavin and jaundice, “Old Pete” was very reticent, however, and did not want to talk. He looked tor Mr. Chalmers in the hay, and the bran and among the stalls, and could not see him. Then the Receiver put his head out of the window and said that Mr. Manning, the starter, might be able to tell something about the disease. The Commissioner paid his respects to Mr. Manning, @ Veen looking gentleman; but he was not aware of any serious trouble, although he acknowledged that there was some sickness preva- lent among the horses which had the honor to drag the Forty-second street cars. “Oan I look at the horses for the information of ne readers of the HERALD?" asked the Commis- sioner. “Who mare you leave to walk in the stables?" re- plied Old Pete. COMMISSIONER—The Receiver, up stairs. Is not that suffictent? OLD Pere—No, it isn’t, and no one has a right to o into the stable uniess Mr. Chalmers says so. here isn’t no. horses sick here. You can’t help a horse coughing no more than a man cough- ing, 'm shure. Old Pete was evidently quite indignant, and his Milesian blood was ready to boil over at any further investigation. The Receiver said :— “If Mr. Green, the President of the road, was here he would give you full information about the matter. He Knows more about the sickness of horses than all the veterinary surgeons in New York, I can tell you—not only when alive, but when the horses are dead, for he has examined them after death, when the doctors have been dissecting them." A driver on this line privately informed the HERALD Plague Commissioner that there were 120 horses sick, but there had not been any fatal cases as yet. a Home pathy on the Ninth Avenue Koad. It is a strange and noticeable fact that there are as many ways of doctoring @ horse as there are of doctoring @ man; and the horse plague has brought this fact out in bold relief, At the depot of the Ninth Avenue Horse Railroad the Plague Commissioner was again taken for a conductor in want ofa job; but, putting on a bold face, he asked for the “Super.” The “Super’’ was not in, but Mr. Wallace, the stable boss, was in, and the Commissioner penetrated through the avenues of stalls, and, encountering a thousand curious odors, which some people say are healthy, he was hailed by a number of men employed around the stable who wanted to know if he would like to “bay @ horse.” Mr. Wallace was giving directions to his men to have a sick horse “slang up,’ when he was interrupted by the advent of the Commissioner, who opened fire on Mr. Wallace, a jolly looking, black whiskered man, with a decided fund of practical common sense beaming from his good-natured face. The ‘was as follows :— “How os! horses have you on this line 7’? “Two hundred and seven horges.”” “YORK” my Kd secctae Esitors ‘A and re: * am ‘aconite and a tiniment ig rubbed on the throat. We have reduced each car to one trip per day less. The horses that‘eat and cough I work as long as they can eat. They are safe and it is better to exercise them. We first heard the coughing on Monday, and it was increased, but we cannot tell how far it will go. There was something like this distemper among the horses in 1854 and 1855. This disease, in my opinion, is a fever with catarrh and the eyes of the horse become dull, the nostrils become red and the head falls down, It laste about ten days and has to be treated like fever on a human being. Any old horse whose lungs are weak and whose bronchial tubes are affected we do not work like a young horse, for fear of bad conse- ences. If we worked the old horses while this lisease is prevalent it might end Sn Soremont, just as a man might fall into consumption who hi contracted a severe cold and neglected himself.” COMMISS1IONER—How much do you value your horses at? Mr. WALLAGE—Well, we have pretty good stock here, and I think we might average them at $200 a piece. There isa pair worth $750 that we drive in acar, We have some old horses that are extra, and that we use on a pinch, but as a general thing our horses are valued at $200 a head. At present we have lessened the quantity of food which we used to give them. That is necessary, as a sick horse cannot eat as much as a well one, We are giving them now bran, warm drinks, cut nay and a little corn meal. Wecut ajl our own hay h an engine. The first sick animal that 1 had was a gelding. We take the chill off the cold water that we give the horses first. Some of the horses pegen. ta and choke and | gave them homeo- oo Te} ies, for 1 believe in them firmly. It by bcconiae, 4 in the nose when run- ning, and the mgne became furred and imflamed. I says, “Look a here, boys, Canada has struck us at last,’’ when I found the first case im this stable. I do my own work and look after the horses, and that is the report, as I have been looking af horses for twenty-eight years or there- abouts, Their tongues were a _ little warm and oo, but many of the horses are already gettin better under the homeopathic treatment. is is a& regular old influenza, this is. 1 never lost a horse under the homeopathic treatment. I tried allopathy un- tld a sick of it, It’s just like asif you had a sore throat and diphtheria, and it must have about the same kind of treatment. Step in again and look at the horses as soon as you can. ‘The HERALD is always welcome. The Sixth Avenue Railroad. At the depot of the Sixth Avenue Railroad Com- pany the HERALD Commissioner found Mr. Superin- tendent J. B. Bidgood, who stated that they had 850 horses and that they had taken off filty horses which were sick and twelve cars from their regular trips. He said:—‘There has been a statement in @ newspaper that I have lost 100 horses by this sickness. That is false. We have Jost but one horse in a month, but we have a great many sick horses in the hospital, which are being treated carefully. The disorder or whatever it may be called struck us first on Monday.” The Broadway Lines. This company is a large one, and owns the lines that terminate at Broadway and Barclay street and Broadway and Broome street, besides the Sev- enth avenue line. They have 1,100 horses running constantly and 100 cars. They have sixty sick horses, Mr. Leadbeater, the Superintendent, stated that their horses were generaily in a pretty good condition, and that he does not think it is contagious, although he thinks it is hanging in the atmosphere. Some of these horses are get- ting better, as numbers have been sent to the hos- pital; buthe thinks that the disease is spreading and will spread for a few days, and then will de- cline and fall away entirely. Mr. Leadbeater is evi; rensly Suite hopeful, but still he has a large num- ber of sick horses, None of them have been sick enough to compe! the necessity of slinging them up. Eighth Avenue, Vesey and Canal Street Line. The HERALD Commissioner called at the depot of this line, which occupies the block from Forty- ninth to Fiftieth streets on Eighth avenue, and had an interview with Mr. Wilson, the superintendent of the road, who received him very courteously and yielded him all the information in his power. His statement was as follows:—‘‘We have 1,000 horses on our line. We have taken eleven horses off the road, and, as near as I can judge, about two-thirds of our horses are slightly but not seriously affected. They were seized with this hacking cough und choking on Monday night, with all the symptoms of having what is known among horsemen as the ‘strangies.’ We are using 4s a remedy cuiorate of potash powaer, and a littie liniment to rub their throats, and mus- tard also. We cannot gargle their throats where there are so many horses. We never had a sick- ness come to our horses in such a shape as this beiore. We have made no change in the trips and there are no cars taken off. We sprinkle the stable with lime, and Keep down the effect of any urine or other matter, and have the stable thoroughly cleansed every night. We use carbolic acid as a disinfectant, and we have sent for some this afternoon. Some of the horses have been taken with the chills and have behaved as if they had the ‘strangles,’ choking at times and coughing heavily, like a man witha heavy cold. [have used belladonna and sweet spirits of nitre as a remedy. Our horses cost from $165 to $175 apiece. As a general thing lbelieve the stock on this road are in very fair shape, with the exception o! three horses, who are affected with a slight cold and a changing fever." At the conclusion of his remarks Mr. Wilson bade the HERALD Commissioner a very good day. The Fifth Avenue Line of Stages. The depot of the Fifth Avenue Stage Company was visited by the Commissioner, and one of the principal officials was interviewed, who did not want his name given. His statement was as fol- lows— tj “We have 400 horses on this line, which are valued at from $150 to $185 a piece, and a large number have been taken with the chills and colds and coughs that are so prevalent just now. I am using aconite and sweet spirits of nitre for a cure and [ think that as soon as the fever has developed itself that a favorable change may come. This distemper appeared on Monday and they have been Gee, Se ever since. We realized its fail force = yesterday, and not before. We are running sixty-five stages, two less than usual, and instead of seven trips per.day we are now making but six until this blows over. I think this disease is somewhat similar to that we had a year or two ago—I mean the cerebro-spinal menengitis. A horse that won't eat for twoor three days is sure to be sick on our hands. We use mustard and warm mash for our horses and give them warm drinks. That is all 1 can say at present.” The Twenty-Third Street Line of Stages. ‘The last visit made by the HeraLp Commissioner was to the stable of the Broadway and Twenty- third street line of stages, which is located in Ninth avenue, at Twenty-sixth street. A little boy, who was quite smart and voluble, called the “ stable boss,” Mr. Edward Gaynor, who put his head out of a door and declared himself ready to be interviewed at once and on the spot. He made his statement as follows :— “Phere are 475 horses on this line of stages and sixty-three stages are run. We hi taken four stages off to-day on account of the sickness of the horses. The first we knew of it was on Sun- day night, when I heard the coughing. I have been giving them liniment and mustard, as well as aco- nite and belladonna. Some of the cases are worse to-day than yesterday, and we have taken one trip off each stage, which,makes fifty-nine trips less in consequence of the disease. never knew any- thing like this disease before. The horses get chilled and do not eat as much as they usually do; but we are taking good care of them as possible, ‘That is all I have to say.”” The Second Avenue Line. On the Second avenue road there has not been comparatively very great suffering. On this line there are about one thousand horses, and of these about seventy-five have the disease in its incipient state. Strangely, too, it did not appear until yesterday morning, but early in the day it was fonnd necessary to put ten of the horses in the hospital as unfit for work. Unlike the treatment used in| most of the other stables, the feed of the horses was not changed, corn and oats, with cut hay, being iven. No horse was considered in the worst stage. Tne medicine given was & mixture of aconite and belladonna, th @ light costic injection. The superintendent of the horses considers the dis- ease, so far ag he has seen it, to be similar to diphtheria in the human berg An ordinary cola would not affect a horse the same way as the present disease does, the difference being that a cold affects the animal over the entire body, whereas the idemic is confined to the throat D pg 5 , Or at worst to the Jungs. “qumsy sore throat’? would cause the horse Buffer more severely than regent disease, The same gentleman he believed it would be better to allow the horses ts exercise, but that they should not be actually worked into the worst state of the disease. He expects that though now so few of the Second ayenue line horses are em eA pear still not one of them will escape. It was claimed by the com- pany that the cars ran all day as usual. On this road there are over 1,900 horses, 250 of which are detached for the Lexington avenue route. More than half of the whole number are suffering from the incipient stage of the disease, Which is the cough. There are about one hundred im varions degrees of the discage at ite worgt, The HERALD, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1872—TRIPLE SHEET. never seen ite equal for general prevalegce and ite ‘first | broke out in this stable on Monday mio! fast, tlie coughing of the horses being dis- tinotiy heard on the avenue. Bran, with some of a patent cattle spice, was then substituted for the ordinary feed. A strong liniment was used on the neck and throat, and home@pathic medicine also given. From those who had watched this large stable ice the dis- ease it was learned that the maiady first ap- peared in the cough, then in the panting, and the third was’ the discharge of yellow matter irom the nostrils, this being con- sidered @ sign that the danger of death was over. This was the representation made, but it would appear from statements made in some of the other large stables that the discharge from the nostrils comes very soon after the cough sets in, and precedes the most dangerous state. In fact, 80 far Most certain indication of the worst stage of the disease is considered to be the retusal of the horse to eat. Yesterday horses were running on this road, evi- dently suffering badly from the cough. There was scarcely a horse standing in the depot—either betore going out or after returning—that was not coughing and suffering from fatigue, But the sick horses were worked all day, on the principle that such @ course was not injurious to them, and that it was time enough to physic them or give them rest when the “panting” set in, However, the horses that were in the incipient state on Monday or Tuesday were in the worst stage yesterday, while those 2 Ne on Tuesday were convalescent yesterday, and were able to eat. ‘Thie will give some idea of how the discase 1s run- ning. The Fourth Avenue Line. The Fourth Avenue line has about seven hundred and seventy horses, more than half of which are afflicted with the disease, Of these sick animals twenty are in the lowest state, There are sixty- five cars running daily on this line, and as it takes eight horses to run one car for @ day, it may be imagined how soon, if the epi- demic increases, the trips here—and for a similar reason on all city lines—must be reduced to very few. Yesterday afternoon the horses were showing evident signs of the spread of the comiagion, and, though the best of care was be- stowed on them, still the poison was sroeniee. and hour after hour it was more apparent that the whole gtable was likely to be included, A number of the “horses are not eating half the usual food, this being a sure premonition that the dis- ease is certain to find its own natural end, A mixture o1 tar, alcohol and belladonna is the medicine adopted. Last evening it was deter- mined net to run the full number of cars to-day, and consequently several of the drivers and con- ductors were Remar ayay, dismissed, It is ex) that im this stable the experience gathere: the treatment tried in the other large stabies in this city may help to stay the further progress of the epidemic. The Avenue C Line. This is the only line in the city the representa- tives of which admitted that the horses had been ailing somewhat during the past two weeks. They have in this stable about three hundred and fiity horses, of which, yesterday, 100 were sick and twenty in the panting stage. No anticipation of the epidemic was formed, the oda, short cough heard in the stables not receiv- notice. ‘The stable ing more than a palaing. now is all an hospital, with an increasing number of Nigar hourly. The Superintendent of the line believes in giving the horses rest as soon as the disease first appears; and for this he says he has the authority of first class veterinary surgeons. A pumber of the cars have been taken off, and probably to-day several more must be stopped running. Adjoining this stabe is a private stable, owned by Mr. Vantyne (himself a veterinar; surgeon), in which, out of twenty-eight horses, only three are sound. They all got sick about the same time—a fact which also ‘Was noticeable in all the other stables. Mr. Van- tyne said he thought the following medicine had allayed the animals’ suffering:—Mustard applica- tion on throat, tincture of belladonna (internally), hot mashes, with very little hay, for feed, The Dry Dock Line. On this line there has been a severe attack of the epidemic. A large number of the 500 horses in the stable have been seized with the first symptoms, About sixteen were in a low state yesterday, and it is probable that by this morning nearly every animal in the stable will have been affected, It was believed yesterday that a number of the cars should be stopped to-day. They think here that the disease is an influenza of the most malignant type. A lini- ment forthe throat and some homeopathic medi- cines are believed to be the most eMcacious cure. ‘The horses should be kept warm, it is said, and get good mashes of carrots, boiled oats and such like, The Fourteenth Street and Broadway P. Stages. Since Muonday night the distemper has been at work In this stable. Tuesday morning the usual worst signs appeared. There are about two hundred and fifteen horses here, over one hundred of which have been diseased. The horses are dosed with a preparation of tar, which it is sald aids in relieving the soreness of the throat. When the lungs are diseased mustard is applied, ie Stages. In this stable there are 440 horses, 100 of them being in a very bad condition, Since Monday last the disease has been taking greater extent, and it was feared yesterday that to-day the whole stable will be suffering. Eleven stages have been taken off, and doubtless to-day the number running will be still further reduced. Tar and belladonna internally and a strong liniment externally are the medicines used. The stable is disinfected with chloride of lime. It is said that tar water had been found to relieve the soreness of the horses’ throats, The Fourth Avenue Stages. There are only three sound horses, out of 330, in the stables of this line. Nearly half of the whole number were working yesterday, the trips being, however, made fewer. It ts a remarkable fact here that, notwithstanding the circum- stance that the sick horses were at work, those that were first seized with the malady are now re- covering rapidly. A preparation of tar was given pened | every day and a strong liniment used externally. It is intended to change the medicine and give 4 mixture of tar, alcohol and belladonua. At the Horse Market. The Horse Market on Twenty-fourth strect isa collection of sale, exchange and livery stables, where the men of horse aMinities congregate for the sale, purchase and hire of those ‘‘faithful servants.”” There are about a dozen stables along the street, and these constitute the market. Horses in sulkies and under saddle are continually trotting up and down the pavement of Twenty-fourth street in front of the market, and led horses in harness are always undergoing the mild exercise of a gentle walk thereon. To halfadozen of the men who linger about this equine home the HERALD re- porter addressed himself regarding the fearinl epizootic. “We ain’t got anything of it here,” said one young stock owner, who leaned back in his stable door and whittled the arm of his chair. ‘We have @ horse or two with a slight cough, but it’s nothing unusual this season. They catch slight coids ‘cause they are shedding their coats, and they run or are driven pretty hard, and then they get a cold and the cough naturally comes. There wouldn’t be anything of it at ail if the papers didn’t make so much talk. I don’t see as any of ‘em in Rochester or Buifalo died. They get sick, but they don’t die.” Another stable keeper in the Horse Market row was counting out his $100 bills in his office at the time the HERALD representative saluted him, and, in the intervals of wetting his fingers and keeping run of the count, he managed to say that he had one or two horses sufferin, with it, but none of them were very bad. He tool care of them as he would of any horse that had the distemper, and if they were put to work like the car horses he supposed it would kill them. But it was no worse than the pinkeye, and he never felt Much fear about that. He did not even think that locomotion in the city would be affected by the epizooty, because he guessed it was pretty much all newspaper talk ut its prevalence. The horses had just can, cold, like everybody, man and beast, does these days.” ‘These dealers may have supposed that the HERALD reporter was in search of a good horse to ere and, with the traditionary nse of the jorse trader, May have felt it their duty to ignore any blemishes in their beasts; but their state- ments, under whatever circumstances they may have been uttered, are given as above, At A. T. Stewart's Stables. A visit to the stables of A. T. Stewart, on Amity street, disclosed the fact that of about seventy- three horses used in delivering parcels alone about thirty were sick with the new disease, and as the superintendent of the stables remarked, “every one that comes in adds another to the sick list.” Three borses were led in from their daily work while the reporter was there and all of them had the h that indicated the them running at the nose, @ h eye ee All were af once unh: n |, blanke' and stalled, mustard quantities rubbed upon their necks. The stadleman stated that he expected to find h ve dimoult in a day or twor to deliver parcels H hire = hi to re. at all. wou orses Dl the sick ones, if he could, the livery stables had none to let. The disease, he thought, was not any fatal if any care could be bestowed the jal, and was not likely to last more than ten days. He had been amon horsep for twenty-Ave years, hywever, and had rapid reduction of horse flesh and spirits. At Arnold and Constable's St: le The dreaded epizooty had carried its rav: mercilessly among the horses used by the flim of Arnold & Constable to deliver packages. Of the fourteen employed every one was sick. So far they had shewn no symptoms more alarming than a cough, but it was undoubiediy the forerunner of the disease, It was impossible to relieve them from their daily duty just at present, and it was hoped they would get better without interference with the parece! delivery, but it was doubtful. The Express Companies. A visit to the various express companies showed that the plague has caused great consternation among the officials, whose business is seriously jeopardized by its ravages among their animals. Some expressed fears that they would be compelled to suspend business entirely for want of the neces- sary horses to transport their freights to the depots, THE AMERICAN MERCHANTS’ EXPRESS. At the office of this company the reporter met Messrs. Clark and Rice, who gave very alarm- ing accounts of the danger that threatened thelr teams, The latter gentleman reported that nearly every animal was more or less affected, and that out of the 150 they own hardly any were fit for work. The dis- ease Grat exhibited itself in their stable on Tuesday and spread with great rapidity, many horses that went out apparently well returning half an hour later badly affected. Yesterday many more were Stricken and still the plague spread, Of the many delivery horses every one was sick at one o’clock yesterday, The animals, they report, yield readily to the treatment giyen them, and imany already be- tray signs of convalescence. Mr. Clark reported that they had intelligence from their agents in Canada, Buffalo and Rochester relative to tne at- tacks upon their horses, and these reports show that with rest and tender treatment the animals usually recover within two weeks, WELLS, FARGO & CO’S EXPRESS. This company have but two horses, their business requiring no more, and both are sick and uscless for all work. ‘THE UNITED STATES EXPRESS, ‘This company own about one hundred animals, most of which are housed in Jersey City. The epizootic, as it 1s termed, showed itself first on ‘Tuesday, and has species rapidly until over two thirds are more or less affected. The demand of the company’s business, however, is so heavy that many of them are employed as usual, and are only treated for the disease at night. They fear that if the disease continues they will be seriously dis- commoded in their business. THR NATIONAL EXPRESS COMPANY. About forty horses are employed by this com- pany, and the oficers report nearly twenty more or leas diseased. Five gave out yesterday after- noon, and on the return of each team one or both 3 ee. of our citizens is not seriously placea ip jeopardy. : The Percentage of Sickness. As near asthe reporter who circulated among the express eompanies and public livery stables could ascertain thé percentage of sick horses wass tast evening, fally eighty-five and a half per cent. Take, for example, the leading seventeen estab- lishments and it was found that 1,266 out of 1,486 are saffering from the disorder. ‘This is eighty-five and a half per cent. Ni a a Name. Eu I sek, American National Express Co it ry Wells, Fargo & Co. nae 2 2 United States Express Co 100 78 National Express 0 20 Adams Express Co ‘a2 Bo 45 3a rt 2 oO 0 70 70 O 40 2 4 0 ~» 10 4 5 16 Totals. 1,486 1,266 ‘These figures were taken between one and three o'clock, and it is not at all unlikely that later im the day the percentage reached as high as ninety. The Veterinary Surgeon of the Board of Health, ‘The veterinary surgeon of the Board of Heaith ta now examining this disease in the city and will make a repott npen the subject to the Roard to- day. A very important and interesting report is expected upon the subjec IN BROOKLYN. we Among Railroad, Livery, Private, Ex- press and Mitk Equine Stock—About Two Thousand Horses Afflicted—The Disease Breaking Out in All Portions of the City and Spreading Rapidly. The catarrhal fever made its appearance among Brooklyn equines on Tuesday last in various locali- ties, but it did not attract any particular at- tention until yesterday, when the disease became widespread. The heaviest suffers ers so far have been the Brooklyn City Railroad Company, which owns 2,000 horses. AG all their stables the equines were “barking” 1m hundreds yesterday. worst cages were, how- ever, reported as being at the Fulton avenue stables, Three deaths were reported in the stables of this company, and others are likely to occur, ‘The symptoms of the sickness are described as a mucus and bloody discharge from the nostrils, 3 horses had to be sent to hospital. In the half hour that elapsed previous to the visit of the HuraLp attaché four had been turned out of harness. THE ADAMS’ EXPRESS COMPANY. The epizooty has reveiled to its fill in the stables of this company in Church street, From Mr. Marsh, the superintendent of the stable, it was ascertained that of the 200 horses employed at one o'clock yesterday fifty were In hospital, and the balance more or less afMicted. He remarked that he could not say that he had a sound horse in the entire list. A}l show premonitory symptoms of the disease, which, to use his words, seems “tu have gone through the city like a whirwind. Weare working those least aMicted to meet the urgent demands of our business. The symptoms are vio lent coughing, discharge of white matter from the nostrils, occasionally lumps on the throat and more or Jess indications of exhaustion. I have been con- nected with the care of horses for twenty years, and have never seen anything like it. They also show a disintlination to eat. We feed them with apples and salted hay, disinfect our stables, cover them with blankets, but still it spreads throughout the stables.” The disease here first appeared about noon Monday, and by Tuesday noon seventy- five animals had been rendered unilt for service. THE TRANSFER COMPANY is said to have about 525 animals. The reporter visited several of their stables, and found it very dimicult to ascertain the extent of the sickness. From employ¢s and others it was ascertained that neariy all, or fully four hundred, were suifering with the disease, either in its first or advauced stages. It first appeared Tuesday morning, in the Mercer street stable, and by noon yesterday half of them had been attacked; nevertheless, the com- pany continue to work them. The Livery Stables. A large number of livery stables were visited during the day, and the discovery was made that the disease in these establishments has very gen- erally attacked the poor dumb tenants and servants ot man. In some stables every horse has been stricken with it. BRADLEY & CO.’S, BAST SEVENTRENTH STREET. ‘This firm own and use at their two stables about eighty horses. The plague first showed itself, or rather first attracted serious attention, on Tuesday morning, and at two o’clock yesterday they did not own @ sound animal. Some, however, were but slightly touched by the disease, and, under careful treatment, will likely be convalescent in a day or two, CANARY’S STABLE, MERCER STREET. A visitation of the disease was made here on Tuesday morning, and, out of 130 horses, by noon | yesterday over sixty were either in hospital, re- ceiving potions from the veterinary surgeon, or wilting under the fatal symptoms of the disorder. About twenty or thirty are utterly unfit tor s vice, but under the mode of treatment Mr. Canary expects to save them all from a fatal termination of the disease. PEPPARD’S STABLE, MERCER STREET. The pestilential disease appeared here on Tues- day, among forty-five occupants of stalls, and al- | ready two-thirds of them are more or less affected with it. There is scarcely a horse in the stable free of the premonitory symptoms, and still it is spread- ing. attention, to rescue them all from death. MASON’S STABLES, MERCER STREET. Every one of the twenty-five horses in these stables is affected in some stage of the disorder, which made its visit first on Tuesday. Yesterday some of them showed symptoms of convalescence. The proprictor io that they were treated promptly, and he lieves all of them are out of Ss r, A few had to be taken Jrom work en- tirely. WILSON’S STABLE, EAST TENTH STREET. Mr. Wilson retused to give the pdt any in- formation, remarking that it would frighten ow! ers who had horses boarding with him. He, how- ever, admitted that the disorder had shown itself there. ‘The best information attainable shows that out of abont sixty horses here fifty have been visited by the disease, IRA BROWN’S STABLES, UNIVERSITY PLACE. ‘This gentleman, who runs two extensive stab! with seventy horses, reports them all more or less ill, Some are sv bad that they cannot be worked, while others are retained in harness. It first ap- peared on Monday night and spread rapidly, until all were affected. Mr. Brown describes the disease like influenza, that so oiten affects man. He en- tertains strong hopes of saving all his animals. J. M'NICOL’S STABLES, BAST TWELFTH STREET. This gentleman has about forty horses out of fifty suffering from the disorder. He reports them all doing well and says that he had putup and ad- ministered to them the recipe published in Tues- day's HERALD, and observed that it produced very beneficial effects upon the invalid animals. MURRAY'S STABLES, EAST THIRTEENTH STREET. This stable escaped the fearful scourge until yes- terday. Mr. Murray reports that when he arrived in the morning not a horse was affected. At three o'clock he had out of forty-two twelve suffering from the disorder. Laterin the day others were taken, but no fatal cases are looked for. REILLY AND M’MAHON’S STABLES, UNION SQUARE. ‘This firm was visited on Tuesday, and they adinit that ten are suffering from the plague. Others re- port that they have as high a number as twenty. HENDERSON'S STABLE, RAST NINTH STREET. There it was found that eight out of the ten horses are suffering from the disorder. They are, however, but slightly affected. OTHER STABLES. The stables of P. Noelke & Co., East Third street, show ten out of twelve sic The stable of Mr. Simpson, in the same street, has not a sound horse, and visits to many other small establishments show that from ninety-six to ninety-nine per cent of the animals have been attacked. AT THE SEVENTH AVENUE LIVERY STABLES, At the Seventh Avenue Livery Stables, on Sev- enth avenue and Twenty-second street, Mr. Wil- liam Ebbitt proprietor, there are about one hun- dred and fifty horses—carriage and coach teams and for light driving. Of these about twenty-five have been attacked by the epizooty, but are now much improved. The clerk of Mr. Ebbitt stated that they were taken in hand at once and cared for, blanketed, mustarded and given rest and com- for ind the second day after the beginning of the treatment showed great improvemen' The opinion and experience of these horseme' em to be that the light ariving animals who are not com- pelled to work hard when the disease is upon them are safe, while it is likely to be fatal to the hard- worked car and truck horses, The Fire Department Horses. It was stated in some of the many journals ye3- terday that the epizooty had made its appearance in the horses of the Fire Department, and that 4 large number were rendered unfit for duty. This was well calculated to cause widespread a! property. owners, who well know tl ting with ihe devouring clement.” It_is grating w evouring e! to know. that there is no immediate cause for alarm. There are in the Department over one handred horses, and as yet but ten have been be- sieged by the disorder, A8 a ffre rarely occurs that reauires one-fourth Os this force of animals the ‘he proprietor hopes, with rest and careiul | fever, watery eyes and drooping heads. On some of THE CITY HORSE CAR LINES— the Myrtle avenue, Fulton avenue and Court street—the number of trips have been reduced. The consequence is that great inconvemence isexpe- rienced by travellers over these always crowded routes. Still further reduction in public accom- modations, it is intimated, will be found net ry unless: Seon prove to be wrong. hea railroad company have adopted the policy of rup- ning a horse as long as he will cat well; out whem he “goes back on his food”? they take him out of tha traces and proceed to doctor him. The veterinary, surgeon then administers a powder of several in< gredients, then gives them mash and covers th equine patient with a warm blanket, ‘The Superd intendent, Mr. Sullivan, is of the opinion that tha epidemic will exhaust itself in the course of tem days, and that it is not contagious, but is in the atmosphere. The number of railroad horse@ affected last night was 650, FULTON AVENUE LINE. The Superintendent of the Fulton avenue cam stables states that the horse “influenza” first mada its entrée among his charge at an early hovr om Monday morning last, when the horses com- menced to “bark’’ or cough one after the other, and have kept it up since. When they cough blood spurts from their noses, and they are in @ cold sweat most of the time. They eat until their throats become sore, when they refuse any further food. Oatmeal gruel and faxseed tea and opening, powders are the potion administered at the Fultom avenue stables, Several horses of the Fire Depart. ment are suffering from the dreaded catarrh, and much anxiety is expressed by the firemen tor thea recovery of their gallant and fast young steeds, ‘They have lost no horses, however. ISRAEL'S STABLES, FIFTH AVENUE. At the livery stables of L. & M. Israel, Fifth aves nue, twenty-nine horses were affected hg ng and the veterinary surgeon was busy rubbing th j throats of the sick animals. Vinegar and mu: tard have been used here with good effect, the ants moals being reported as progressing favorably. THE FIFTH AVENUE LINE. At the stables of the Fifth Avenue Railroad Come pany (Alderman Richardson’s line) there were only three cases of influenza among 450 horses. OTHER STABLES, Fursel, the ice cream manufacturer, Fulton street, had six horses down with the horse dis+ ease last night. Mr. James Weaver has a very valuable roa horse sick at his private stable in Elm place, an fears for the safety of the other animals in t stable, HENRY WARD BEECHER’S HORSES. | _Two horses belonging to Mr. Henry Wai Beecher, ten to Mr. Dunning and one horse owne by Mr. Tousey, are very sick at Donnelly’s livery stable, Henry street. Ali the livery stables in Love, lane bore evidence to the fact that the equin misery which stalked broadcast over the city dic not overlook them. H. B. Witty, the livery stable keeper, Powers! | street, has had but three cases under treatment. | He finds that doses of aconite and belladonna, tet drops in each case, four doses every twenty-fou hours, work like a charm, giving relief to the ani mals afflicted. All the railroad company’s farm) horses at Greenpoint are sick. THE EXPRESS COMPANIES AND MILKMEN. Express companies are bemoaning their ill luck} in not being able to carry their freight with any profitable degree of expedition because of their misfortune in having one-half of their stock it with the “influenza,” Truck and icemen wear lon; faces and watch every symptom of their afflict horses. Milkmen in many instances ar | compelled to hire sound horses to take tha place of their sick a In going the morning and evening milk route. There were no means of ascer4 taining the precise number of sick horses in Brook~ lyn last night, but trom what could be eevee fro | Sources available it 1s fair to estimate the probabl number at not less than two thousand. And th | march of the dread disease is still onward. ‘The aistemper has made its appearance in Wil. liamsburg, but not to any great extent. Several valuable horses belonging to the Fire Departmen exhibited the usual Fs rong yesterday, as | also a few roadsters belonging to the citizens. But { the large number of horses belonging to the Gri Street, North Second Street and uth Fourt! ‘Street railroads have so far escaped. In the stabla of the Cross-Town road, Green t, only four cases were reported last evening. Nearly all the prin- pal Lent stable keepers report their equines healthy. THE DISEASE ELSEWHERE. Secretary Boutwell Prohibits the Intro« duction of Canadian Horses. WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct, 23, 1872, Numerous letters have been received at thé Treasury Department on the subject of the horse disease, one of which, dated Buffalo, says it is so widespread that the writer is safe in placing nine+ tenths of the horses in that city and neighborhood as affected by the disease, and, he adds, while it a regarded as dangerous, it yields readily to treatment if applied in season. The general impression ia that it is not contagious, but is epidemic. ‘Th Secretary of the Treasury has issued the followin, instructions to the collectors at Rochester, Bur< lington, Cape Vincent and Port Huron:— “You are directed, so long as the existing horse disease prevails fn Canada, to allow no horses tobe brought into your port or district from that coun4 try, unless you are perfectly satisfied that they ara free from contagious diseases.” Horses Dying in Syracuse. SYRACUSE, N. Y., Oct. 23, 1872, The horse epidemic has broken out in this city¢ and {s spreading rapidly.. Fully four hundre@ horses are affected, including the horses of thal Fire Department and street railways, and owing to: the sickness of the latter the running time of cars has been changed. It ts feared that the cari will be stopped altogether shortly. The hors the Milk Company are affected; also 100 privat horses, and a number have already died. The Disease Exciting the Quaker City. PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 23, 1872, ‘The managers of the city passenger railways and others owning horses have become considerably excited in regard to the horse disease. No case, however, has ag yet made its appearance in this city. Business Partly pended in Boston for Want of Horses. Boston, Mass., Oct. 23, 1872. The horse epidemic is seriously impeding busines@ and travel here; but, 80 far, very few horses have died from it, Sudden Appearance of the Fever im SPRINGFIBLD, Mass., Oct. 23, 1872 Seventy cases of the horse disease broke out im this city to-day. No fatal cases have been reported thus far