52 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of vessels carryinjij live stock were made in order to see that equip- 

 ment, ventilation, feed, Avater, attendants, etc., conformed to the 

 regulations. 



INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE OF IMPORTED ANIMALS. 



In order to prevent the introduction of contagious diseases of live 

 stock the Bureau makes a rigid inspection of all imported animals 

 at ports of entry, and in certain cases a quarantine is imposed. 

 During the fiscal year 346,650 imported animals were inspected, 

 9,783 of which were also quarantined. 



LEGISLATION NEEDED. 



The work of the Department in dealing with the live-stock industry, 

 and especially with communicable diseases of animals, has shown 

 the need of further legislation by Congress in order to remedy defects 

 in existing laws and to confer authority for additional work in the 

 public interest. These matters are discussed in more detail in the 

 report of the Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, but may be 

 briefly enumerated as follows ; 



Authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to control the impor- 

 tation of vaccines, serums, antitoxins, tuberculins, and other prepa- 

 rations sold for the detection, prevention, or treatment of diseases 

 of animals, and to supervise the preparation of such products manu- 

 factured in this country for interstate commerce; such authority to 

 be similar to that already vested in the United States Public Health 

 and Marine-Hospital Service with regard to such products used in 

 human medicine. 



Authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to waive the provisions 

 of the so-called twenty-eight-hour law in cases of emergency when 

 cattle are being shipped under quarantine restrictions and a strict 

 compliance with the law might cause the spread of disease. 



Authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to require the disinfec- 

 tion of any live-stock cars used in interstate commerce whenever 

 such disinfection seems necessary to prevent the spread of disease. 



Authority to regulate the shipment of different classes of live 

 stock in the same cars in the interest of humane treatment and so as 

 to prevent young and small animals, frequently of different species, 

 from being trampled to death by larger ones. 



Legislation prohibiting the shipment of dead animals in the same 

 cars with live animals, a practice that prevails to some extent and 

 is a source of danger of the spread of contagious disease. 



Legislation providing for the inspection and supervision of dairy 

 products in interstate commerce, mth a view especially to preventing 

 the widespread practice of shipping to creameries cream that is in 

 such a condition as to be unfit to enter into the composition of a 

 food product. 



