Summer of Encephalomyelitis

Bill Nevard wrote a little about the equine encephalomyelitis virus scare .
July 17 1938

The day being propitious I went to North's this afternoon on Gleam. Embers accompanying us. Met Jack Binnington driven in a car by some unknown gentleman. I saw a colt on Sam Wheale's pasture. Mosquitos worrying Gleam quite a bit. I found Mr. and Mrs. North at home. Sid and Ed having gone to visit Percy Radwell and Ethel being at Quill Lake with Martha. Mr. North is feeling worried about encephalomyelitis which is spreading fast in the North and before I left they had decided that Tom should go to Regina early Monday morning in the car to try and get some vaccine. Mike Kowbel and Henry Berner were going with him. Henry has been innoculating horses against the disease and Jack has had four horses done. Mosquitos very bad on the way home.

July 18

I got up at 3 a:m this morning and walked across Karl Miller's to his West line, then walked North on the road until about half a mile from Headlands school where I met Tom North driving to Regina in his truck with Kowbel and Berner. I gave him $13 to get what vaccine he could for our horses and rode with him back to Miller's, then walked home.

In the afternoon I caught Glory and Gleam and rode to North's again. When I got there Tom had not returned. I stayed to supper and after Tom came back he was unable to get any vaccine but ordered some.

July 20

Dick rode to town with Tom North at night and brought the vaccine home for our horses.

July 21

We got up early this morning and had our eleven horses stabled by sunrise. After we had our breakfast Henry Berner came along in his ancient car with a youthful assistant and innoculated all our horses. They were not much trouble , after which he went on to North's and Kowbel's and did their horses. Jack Binnington has one horse sick now.

In the evening Dick and I drove to Murphy Newton's in the wagon with Topsy and Firelight after the two little pigs, which we got with Mrs. Newton's assistance. Murphy being away haying. We heard from Ernest Senft that Fisher, Michelson, and Peake have each got a sick horse.