No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 439 



RKPORT OF DR. BE^NJAMIN LKK. SANITARIAN, 



TO the: statk board of agriculturf. 



Ilaiiisburg, Pa., January 23, 1901. 



What should be the functiou of the Saiiitai-ian, to a State Board 

 of Agriculture? What possible use can there be for such an ofticial? 

 Is he not an appendage as destitute of value, allhough not as dan- 

 gerous, as is the human appendix to its possessor? 



These questions presented themselves to the mind of the writer 

 when he received the gratifying request from the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture to accept the position referred to. Somewhat in the dark 

 as to his duties, therefore, but unable to resist the promptings of 

 vanity, he laid the flattering unction to his soul and accepted the 

 highly 'appreciated honor with whatever responsibilities it might 

 involve, secretly trusting that the latter would be about commen- 

 surate with the salary attached to the position. To his surprise, 

 however, he is suddenly called upon for an annual report. But how 

 to rej)ort when he is not conscious of having performed any duties. 

 Much admirable sanitary work in connection with the Board and the 

 Department of Agriculture has been done, but by others. The re- 

 port of the State Veterinarian and his able assistant in Bacteriology 

 in the annual report of the Department of Agriculture for the year 

 181)9 on "Tuberculosis of Cattle," is a monument of industry and a 

 model of scientific research, and shows the authors to be sanitariaus 

 of first rank. Glanders, anthrax and rabies, three diseases com- 

 municable to human beings from domestic animals, have also been 

 the subjects of careful stud^' by these officials and much has been 

 accomplished for their restriction. Such reports are calculated not 

 only to do much good by disseminating information in our own State, 

 but also tc give the Department a high standing in the estimation of 

 the agriculturists of other States and European countries. Much 

 good work of a sanitary nature has also been accomplished in the 

 detection and prevention of the adulteration of food products by the 

 Food and Dair}- Commissioner, a branch of sanitation, the value of 

 which it is impossible to over-estimate. 



When the State Board of Health was first established, mure than 

 fifteen years ago, the Board issued an address to the people of the 

 State, indicating what its members considered to be the sanitary 



