JSTo. 7. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 81 



observation were prevented from spreading disease and causing new 

 outbreaks or a continuation of the old one. 



Experience teaches that it is only by prompt and etfective enforce- 

 ment of reguhitions requiring the confinement or muzzling of dogs 

 that an outbreak of rabies may be checked. The usual period of such 

 quarantine has been 100 days, and thus far experience shows that 

 this term of quarantine is usually sufficient. If, however, additional 

 cases of rabies occur toward the close of the term of quarantine as 

 originally established, the quarantine is extended or a new one i« 

 placed for an additional period of 100 days. 



Kabies has prevailed rather extensively, and still prevails, in all 

 the States bordering upon Pennsylvania; therefore, while it may be 

 possible to repress and practically *to eradicate rabies from the inte- 

 rior of Pennsylvania there will always be an opportunity for the 

 reinfection of border counties from dogs from other States. For- 

 tunately, the states of New York, Ohio and New Jersey are begin- 

 ning to take more efiCective action in relation to the repression of 

 rabies. Such work in the neighboring states will be of service to us, 

 precisely as repression of rabies in Pennsylvania is of service to our 

 neighboring states. 



Tuberculosis'. This disease has been for many years, and for a 

 long tinu^ will, no doubt, continue to be the most prevalent infectious 

 disease of cattle in Pennsylvania, as in all other eastern states of the; 

 United States and, indeed, in nearly all of the older dairy countries 

 of the world. For a long time, owners of cattle looked upon losses 

 from tuberculosis as inevitable; they did not believe that the dis- 

 ease could be exterminated from a herd once heavilv infested with 

 diseased animals, and so they were not generally ready to adopt a 

 course of procedure involving considerable loss for the purpose of 

 removing this infection. During the past ten years tuberculosis has 

 been eradicated from many herds, and its prevalence has been re- 

 stricted to a very great ext€^nt in many large districts. This has 

 served to prove the efificiency of the plans for repression that have 

 been followed and to encourage herd owners to adopt repressive 

 measures. For several years, interest in the repression of tubercu- 

 losis on the part of herd owners has been growing steadily, and now 

 there are few cattle breeders who do not realize the importance of 

 having their herds free from tuberculosis, and who are not willing to 

 cooperate with the State Livestock Sanitary Board to this end. This 

 Board is constantly asked to make a great many more inspections of 

 herds than it is possible to make with the funds available for this 

 use. The plan that has been followed for several years has been 

 continued during the past^year^ of confining inspections at State ex- 

 pense to herds where there is strong evidence of infection and, there- 

 fore, the greatest need for inspection. Where the evidence of the 

 infection of a herd is not complete prior to the inspection at the 

 cost of the State, or when applications are made for the inspection 

 of herds known to be infected, and when such applications cannot 

 be acted upon on account of insufficient funds, herd owners are 

 encouraged to have inspections made at their own expense, with the 

 understanding that they will be assisted, so far as possible, by the 

 State Livestock Sanitary Board in disposing of cattle found to be 

 tuberculous. 



6—7—1904 



