BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 69 



trivial compared with the colossal damage that would have been in- 

 flicted if the disease had escaped control and had become perma- 

 nently established in the United States as it has in some other coun- 

 tries. 



The expenses of eradication as paid from the Federal and State 

 treasuries by no means represent the full measure of the cost of this 

 plague. The appraised valuation on a meat and dairy basis in some 

 cases fell short of the actual value of fine pedigreed stock, but the 

 former was all that could be allowed under the then existing law— 

 a condition which has been remedied for the future by a provision in 

 the latest act making appropriations for the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, under which breeding and pedigree may be taken into account. 



The quarantine was gradually removed as areas and States were 

 freed of infection, and the last restrictions were rescinded June 5, 

 1916. For some time after removal of quarantine veterinary inspec- 

 tors were kept in the lately infected areas to supervise the restocking 

 of farms where the disease had existed, to see whether the disease 

 developed among animals placed on such farms, and to investigate 

 reports of suspected new outbreaks. 



The early history of the epizootic and of the measures taken to 

 combat it is given in the report of the chief of the bureau for the 

 fiscal year 1915. No further light has since been thrown on the 

 source of the outbreak, which appeared in the vicinity of Niles, Mich., 

 late in the summer of 1914. It now seems very unlikely that the 

 true cause will ever be definitely known. The infection undoubtedly 

 came from abroad but in some unknown way. 



Out of the misfortune has come experience which should be of 

 great value if the country is ever again visited by this or some other 

 highly infectious animal plague. About 450 veterinary inspectors of 

 the Bureau of Animal Industry, and perhaps nearly as many veter- 

 inarians in State work and private practice, took part in suppressing 

 the outbreak and had opportunities for becoming more familiar with 

 the nature of the disease and the best methods of dealing with it. Con- 

 gress has seen the need of having a fund ready for such an emergency 

 and has recently made a special appropriation of $1,250,000 to be 

 available for the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease and other 

 contagious diseases of animals in cases of emergency that may 

 threaten the live-stock industry. Some States have adopted laws 

 and appropriated money to the same end. Perhaps the most im- 

 portant step needed to complete our preparation is for all the States 

 that have not already done so to pass laws, create or improve organ- 

 izations, and make appropriations for dealing effectively with con- 

 tagious diseases of animals. 



PROGRESS AGAINST HOG CHOLERA. 



Progress has been made during the year both in practical field, 

 demonstrations for the control of hog cholera by serum immunization 

 and in the improvement of the technique of preparing the serum. 



The field work haS consisted, as before, of (a), county control 

 investigations, being experiments designed to determine the practica- 

 bility of eradicating hog cholera from selected sections of the 

 country, and (&) demonstrational and educational work with the 

 object of determining the feasibility of enlisting the aid of the far- 



