244 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON CONTA- 

 GIOUS DISEASES AMONG CATTLE. 



To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth 



of Massachusetts. 



Complying with the requirements of the statute, the Commis- 

 sioners on Contagious Diseases among Cattle herewith present 

 their Annual Report. 



At the time the report for 1870 was 'presented, a contagious 

 disease known as epizootic aphtha was prevailing quite exten- 

 sively in the State, and causing much alarm to cattle owners 

 and the public. All the then ascertained facts in the case and 

 the measures which the Board had instituted to check its dis- 

 semination, and, if possible, eradicate it, were fully stated in 

 that report. To meet the emergency and enable us to pro- 

 ceed in our work, the legislature, quite early in the session, 

 made an appropriation of five thousand dollars. At that time 

 circulars had been sent to all the cities and towns of the State, 

 notifying their municipal officers of the existence of the dis- 

 ease in various sections ; that the market yards of Brighton, 

 Cambridge and Medford were unsafe localities ; tbat it was for- 

 bidden to drive to those markets store cattle, milch cows or 

 working oxen ; and calling their special attention to the law 

 which prescribed their duties in such an emergency. 



To make our regulations effective and to assist the local 

 authorities in this work, on the 12th of January Mr. Edward 

 R. Craig, of Brighton, was appointed inspector of the cattle 

 markets in the vicinity of Boston, and was instructed to stop 

 all cattle being driven to or from those markets, except healthy 

 beef cattle to be driven to places of slaughter. At the same time 

 the several railroad corporations were forbidden to take upon 

 their cars or to transport any but that class of cattle. Notwith- 

 standing the thorough enforcement of these stringent regula- 

 tions, the consumers of our cattle products were greatly alarmed 

 for the public health, and the consumption of beef and milk 

 decreased to such an extent as to disarrange and seriously 

 affect the trade in those^products. The measures of the Board 

 were intended to and did protect the community from the con- 

 sumption of unwholesome articles of food, and the alarm was 

 groundless. Yet, to give the public confidence and relieve the 



