Mexborough & Swinton Times — December 15, 1893
Extraordinary Loss of Pit Ponies at Denaby Main Colliery
We are pleased to hear that, under the treatment of Mr. Norwood (Conisboro’), the ponies at this colliery are very much improved, and the miners are now beginning to again find employment. The epidemic, as stated last week, commenced on resuming work after the sixteen weeks’ general stoppage, and it assumed such a magnitude as to affect nearly the whole of the ponies in the pit, upwards of 120 in number, and work had to be entirely suspended in consequence.
No less than eighteen ponies have succumbed to this frightful malady, many of which were very valuable, and had only been sent into the mine since the settlement of the wages dispute. It is not expected that any further outbreak will now occur. Other ponies have this week been sent down to take the places of those that are dead, and the worst cases of the animals still suffering have been sent to bank.
A correspondent writes:—The situation at Denaby Main Colliery looks much brighter this week than it did last. Work was resumed on Thursday morning week, so that the pit was only standing four days—from Saturday to Wednesday. The management have done everything in their power, and spared no expense to get the horses and ponies fit for work again, and they have been ably helped by their veterinary surgeon, Mr. W. W. Norwood, M.R.C.V.S., of Conisborough, who has been most indefatigable in his attention to the stricken animals from the commencement of the outbreak a fortnight ago.
At the consultation held in the pit on Sunday week last, between Professor Pemberthy, of the Royal Veterinary College, London, Mr. R. C. Thompson, M.R.C.V.S., of Doncaster, and Mr. Norwood, both the former gentlemen agreed with the diagnosis of the case previously given by Mr. Norwood—that the outbreak was laminitis, and a very virulent form of contagious pneumonia; and the eminent London authority stated in his report that, owing to Mr. Norwood’s early recognition of the disease, much loss, both of time and animals, had been saved.
Such has proved to be the case, as the greater part of the animals are now convalescent, and on Monday the pit commenced to work double time, as there are a large number of orders in hand waiting for execution. This should be good news for the miners employed, as they will now have the chance of making a little money for Christmas.
Mr. Norwood states that the disease amongst the horses and ponies was undoubtedly caused by the strike, the whole of the animals remaining in the pit during the four months’ stoppage, being fairly well fed and having little or no exercise.
Thus, when work was resumed, the animals were in a fat and lethargic condition. From want of exercise the air in their lungs had never properly been expelled, and the lungs had not been expanded as they should be. This causes a weakness in the bloodvessels and degeneration in the quality of the blood, and when an animal is put to work under these conditions the blood often becomes stagnant in the feet, causing inflammation, or laminitis, as it is scientifically called.
Then the disease changes to the lungs, which, being in such a weak state, cannot resist it. Having finally settled in the lungs it affords a suitable pabulum for the generation of micro-organisms, either septic or pathogenic, and thus becomes infectious, the virulence of the disease being regulated by the external and internal conditions of the animal. The conditions at Denaby Main being exceedingly bad the disease assumed a very virulent character.