1883.] REPORT ON DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 323 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON" DISEASES OP 

 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



The past year has been one of general health among our flocks 

 and herds. They have been exempt generally from any conta- 

 gious disease. But this has not occurred from pure accident. 

 The knowledge of our breeders and dealers of the nature of these 

 diseases due in some degree to the work of the Commission, has 

 been a large element in this exeniption, to which must be added 

 the work of the Commission in the past in eradicating disease, and 

 watchfulness continually against its introduction from abroad. 

 In fact, aside from the frequent calls upon your Commission in 

 cases of common ailments of animals not considered contagious, 

 the work of the Commission has been almost entirely confined to 

 the latter, guarding against the introduction of pleuropneumonia 

 from the adjoining infected district in the State of New York, 

 and because successful may be considered of little account. But 

 this supposition cannot be sustained. Especially has this work 

 become both more difficult and more necessary since the State of 

 New York has released its efforts to stamp out the disease, and it 

 has reappeared in many of its old haunts, and even has spread 

 into new localities. It has recently broken out in Dutchess Co., 

 adding further proof, if any was necessary, against, any cattle 

 traffic in animals to be carried from the infected district. It is a 

 well established fact that the sales stables of New York are more 

 or less infected with contagious pleuro-pneumonia; no cattle that 

 have been in them, or that have been transported in the ordinary 

 way, or even that go out of the infected district are safe against 

 contagion, and should be subjected to a quarantine of at least 

 ninety days. 



How any sane man, with the experience of the past, will take 

 the personal risk on the animals, and the wholesale danger involved, 

 and take any neat stock from any part of the infected district on 

 to his own farm or for sale outside, is only explained by the phrases, 

 "know nothing, fear nothing," or "experience is a dear school and 

 fools will learn in no other." 



The poor fellows that in the vicinity of New York purchase a 

 cow of the dealer, with privilege of exchange if she does not suit, 

 find themselves entangled in a net-work that they cannot unwind. 

 The cow is taken sick and returned to keep up the infected condi- 



