108 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



We were fortunately prepared to meet the emergency. While the 

 experience is fresh in our minds we should decide on measures that 

 could be safely adopted to handle a similar emergency more effici- 

 ently if possible in the future. It is not safe to be unprepared for 

 calamities of this kind. Safe and sane measures are hard to pro- 

 mulgate and enforce during the existence of such a plague. In 

 times of peace we should prepare for war. The plan of extermina- 

 tion successfullly used in the outbreaks of 3902 and 1908 was 

 adopted in dealing with this one. As soon as the disease was re- 

 ported to the Board each member favored continuing the work of 

 extermination along the same lines that had been used six years 

 ago. The same general plan was followed by the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry in the twenty states in which infection was found. 



It was first necessary to locate the diseased herds. Agents were 

 sent out at once to trace up suspicious shipments. When a diseased 

 animal was found all the cattle, hogs and sheep on the premises were 

 placed in quarantine. In all cases the diagnosis was confirmed by 

 the State and Federal agents. Both representatives were satisfied 

 that the diagnosis was correct. The disease and exposed cloven- 

 footed animals on the premises were then all appraised at their ac- 

 tual value and arrangements made for digging the burial trenches. 

 In some cases the work was done by the owner of the herd while in 

 other contractors did it. In either case the expense was borne equally 

 by the Federal and State governments. The animals were then killed, 

 covered with one hundred pounds of lime to each one thousand pounds 

 of estimated animal weight and burierl in a grave seven feet deep, 

 seven feet wide and two feet in length in each mature bovine animal. 

 Next the stable was carefully cleaned and disinfected. The owner will 

 not be permitted to restock with cloven footed animals for ninety 

 days from the time the premises were disinfected. In the meantime a 

 farm to farm inspection will be made within a radius of three miles 

 from the infected herd and each susceptible animal will be examined 

 for any evidence of the disease. During this time the township is held 

 in quarantine and it is necessary to obtain a permit to move, hay, 

 straw, cattle, sheep, swine or hides. 



In the beginning of the outbreak a quarantine was placed upon 

 the whole state. This precaution appeared necessary for the reason 

 that the disease was so wide-spread. The counties into which no 

 interstate shipments had been made between October first and 

 twenty-fourth were released from quarantine as soon as the records 

 of sales and shipments were traced. A few counties had received 

 such shipments and upon examination the animals were found free 

 from infection. These counties were promptly released from quar- 

 antine by the State but not by the Bureau of Animal Industry. It 

 was soon considered safe to release certain townships in counties 

 that had considerable infection. The disease was found in twenty- 

 seven counties. 'Some counties had but one or two diseased herds. 

 The counties that received the most infection were Lebanon, Lan- 

 caster, Berks, Montgomery, York, Bucks and Chester. The f aimers 

 in these seven counties keep many cattle. It is their custom to pur- 

 chase feeders in the fall and finish them for beef during the winter. 

 Their purchases are usually made at the season of the year when this 



