REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. XXI 



For various reasons the local authorities have not in most cases effi- 

 ciently controlled these outbreaks of rabies. In the District of Colum- 

 bia, under federal laws and administration, the disease has existed for 

 a year and has not yet disappeared. n some States its presence has 

 scarcely attracted official attention. 



As this is one of the most terrible and fatal of diseases, as it is com- 

 municable to man and to most or all species of warm-blooded animals, 

 it is extremeh' desirable that the contagion should be eradicated. That 

 this can be accomplished without extraordinary efforts is clearly shown 

 by the recent experience of Great Britain and other countries. 



The continued existence of the disease at the national capital is a 

 subject for regret, and shows a lack of efficient measures for protecting 

 human and animal life. On account of the number of persons, par- 

 ticularly children, which have been bitten, and the serious burden and 

 expense to families in moderate circumstances to send their children 

 to other cities for the Pasteur treatment, I would recommend that the 

 Secretary of Agriculture be authorized to pay for such treatment out 

 of the appropriation for the Bureau of Animal Industry in all cases 

 where the parties have been bitten in the District of Columbia, or that 

 one of the medical services of the Government which maintains a lab- 

 oratory at the capital be directed to furnish this treatment free of 

 charge. 



It appears that some additional legislation is needed to enal)le this 

 Department to prevent the interstate extension and distribution of this 

 dreaded disease. 



THE EXPERIMENT STATION 



The experiment station of the Bureau has proved of great ser^ace. 

 The antitoxin animals during the year supplied about 1,500,000 cubic 

 centimeters of blood for use in the biochemic laboratory in making- 

 hog cholera serum. A serum for the prevention of tetanus or lockjaw 

 is being prepared and will soon be ready for use. 



TEXAS FEVER. 



The work on Texas fever has been of two kinds: First, that directly 

 concerning the disease; and, second, that concerning the destruction 

 of the Southern cattle tick. 



It has been found by recent experiment that the Texas fever exists 

 in the island of Porto Rico, and very probably in other portions of the 

 West Indies. The ticks received from Porto Rico and used in our 

 experiments are identical with the well-known Southern cattle tick. 



The main problem of the Texas fever question remains as last year — 

 the finding of a dip that will effectuall}" destroy the ticks without 

 affecting the cattle injuriously. The great benefits to be derived from 

 the solution of this problem will justify the expenditure of consider- 



