Bovine Infectious Abortion

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Excerpt from Bovine Infectious Abortion: Or Bang's Disease of Cattle Abortions in cattle may be caused by various agencies which produce their effects in various ways. Among these are micro-organisms or germs and several different germs are capable, if colonized in the uterus, of causing abortion. The micro-organism, however, that causes by far the greatest number of abortions and that also has a special predilection for colonizing during pregnancy in the uterine cavity is known as Brucella abortus or Bang's bacillus. This micro organism produces a definite infection in the animal and one that in the majority of instances lasts for years. It is perhaps regrettable that the infection has been named bovine infectious abortion. This name seems to convey the meaning that abortion is always associated with infection and that the cessation of abortion indicates recovery. This is not true - the abortion is but an irregular symptom of infection - and it is perhaps an attempt to avoid this faulty nomenclature that some workers call the disease Bang's disease. A few years ago cattle were thought to be the only susceptible animals. To-day We know that this was an erroneous view and that other lower animals are subject to infection. Nor is man immune since the causative microbe attacks him, producing a serious illness known as undulant fever and on this account bovine infectious abortion is no longer only of interest to rural and cattle raising communities. The city and town dweller must give the problem a measure of attention because of the pathogenicity of the organism for man. Therefore, an account of the tremendous economic loss caused by this infection and also its relationship to the public health of our country is has undoubtedly become one of the foremost problems in the field of animal diseases. While the infection may be one comparatively new to some sections of this country it is by no means new in the annals of comparative medicine. In England even as early as the sixteenth century or in the Elizabethan age the infectious nature of outbreaks of abortion was commented upon. During the period of the Napoleonic wars repeated reference may be found in the literature to abortions of an infectious character and the veterinarians of that period advised the isolation of the aborting animal and the burial of the expelled fetus. It was not until the year 1896, however, that the specific micro-organism was discovered. In the year mentioned Professor Bang of the University of Den mark isolated from an animal about to abort an organism which we to-day call the Brucella abortus and which is also frequently called Bang's bacillus (in honour of its discoverer). Not only did Bang isolate the organism but he studied its effects on animals and proved that it was capable of causing abortion. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Bovine Infectious Abortion by Chas. A. Mitchell serves as a focused historical and medical exploration into the causes and nature of cattle abortions, with a primary emphasis on the condition commonly known as Bang's disease. Spanning a concise twenty-two pages, the text provides readers with a foundational understanding of veterinary pathology as it relates to livestock management and agricultural health. The author begins by addressing the broader context of bovine reproductive failures, noting that while multiple environmental or biological factors can trigger abortions in cattle, micro-organisms represent a particularly significant category of agents. When specific germs colonize the uterine cavity, they interfere with gestation and disrupt normal biological processes in the animal. Among these microscopic culprits, one specific organism stands out due to its prevalence and targeted behavior. The text identifies this primary agent as Brucella abortus, frequently referred to as Bang's bacillus. This particular micro-organism possesses a unique biological predilection for establishing colonies specifically within the uterine cavity during the course of pregnancy. Once introduced, it induces a distinct and enduring infection within the host animal. According to the author, this infection is notable for its persistence, frequently lasting for years within the affected cattle population rather than clearing up quickly. Furthermore, the publication critically examines the terminology historically used to describe the condition. The author suggests that the traditional name, bovine infectious abortion, is somewhat regrettable because it tends to create a misleading impression among farmers and handlers. Specifically, the name implies that the act of abortion is an invariable or constant outcome of the infection, whereas the reality of the pathological process is more complex and nuanced. By dissecting the relationship between the Brucella abortus organism, the resultant long-term infection, and the physical symptoms observed in livestock, Mitchell provides a clear window into early twentieth-century veterinary medicine. The book captures a critical era in the scientific understanding of animal diseases, offering readers a glimpse into how researchers first categorized and communicated about contagious agricultural maladies that deeply impacted rural economies and food supplies.

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