XX REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Experience has shown, however, that this examination even bv the 

 most skillful inspectors is not reliable. Accordingly, the tuberculin 

 test has recently been adopted, and it is hoped that with this more 

 accurate means of diagnosis the American farmer may be protected 

 from further importations of this contagion. 



As the loss of a considerable proportion of high-bred cattle after 

 they have been purchased and brought to this country would be a 

 severe burden to importers, it has been decided to station an inspector 

 in Great Britain to test and certify to the animals before shipment. 

 By adopting this method diseased animals may be excluded at the time 

 of purchase and the traffic in healthy animals will proceed with less 

 risk than heretofore. Similar arrangements have been made for 

 testing Canadian cattle. 



Numerous restrictions have been placed upon the interstate ship- 

 ments of breeding and dairy cattle by the individual States, in order 

 to guard against the introduction of diseased animals. The hardships 

 and burdens thus put upon the legitimate traffic in healthy animals 

 which are carried in the channels of interstate commerce leads to tbe 

 suggestion that uniform regulations under federal authority may save 

 our shippers much annoyance and loss, and at the same time furnish 

 protection from disease. 



The authorities of several States have requested this Department to 

 take action which would prevent the interstate shipment of tubercu- 

 lous animals, but it is doubtful if existing law authorizes the meas- 

 ures required for efficient control, and anything short of this would 

 prove an additional burden without bringing the desired relief. 



DANGER FROM RABIES. 



It is unfortunate that the disease known as rabies, canine madness, 

 or hydrophobia is apparently on the increase in the United States. A 

 considerable number of outbreaks have come to the attention of 

 Department officials during the past year, and these have been so 

 wideh' separated as to indicate an extensive distribution of the conta- 

 gion. While dogs are most frequently aflected, cattle and horses are 

 not uncommon victims, and a single mad dog running through a herd 

 of such animals may cause losses of hundreds or thousands of dollars' 

 worth of pi'operty. 



One of these outbreaks of rabies occurred during the j^ear in the 

 District of Columbia, extending into adjoining portions of INIaryland 

 and A^irginia, and was ver}^ carefully studied b\^the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry. Between July 1. 1S;:'1J. and June 30, 1900, the disease was 

 demonstrated by the most careful laboratory tests in -iS dogs. 1 cat, 

 4 cows, and 1 horse. Other cases occurred which were not submitted 

 to this ^critical scicntitic study. Four men and sixteen children were 

 bitten bv these rabid animals. 



