No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 2S1 



is of vast importance in cases where persons have been bitten by 

 animals suspected of having rabies. 



There has not been as much rabies during the past year as in some 

 previous years. It is customary to kill animals that have been bitten 

 by dogs that were known to have had the disease. The State allows 

 no indemnity for damage done to stock by rabid dogs. It is possible 

 in some cases to indemnify the owners for such losses from the local 

 dog tax fund. It is also possible to have the Pasteur treatment 

 given to poor people and pay for it out of the same fund. The most 

 effectual way to control rabies would be to destroy the worthless, 

 homeless dogs. This would be a blessing to the sheep industry, as 

 well a.s as.sist greatly in preventing the spread of rabie.s. It would 

 seem that there might be some just law provided that would compel 

 people to confine dogs that are kept as pets or for pleasure, and 

 force the killing of those that are homeless or uucared for. 



Contagious abortion in cattle is still receiving much study. 

 Breeders are becoming more familiar v.-ith the way the disease is 

 conveyed from farm to farm and from animal to animal, and more 

 effectual sanitary precautions are being practiced in breeding herds. 

 A rather extensive experiment was tried during the past two years 

 in the use of medicated methylene blue as a cure for the disease. 

 Many inquiries were received in reference to the treatment which 

 had been mentioned in a number of the dairy papers. The treat- 

 ment was first recommended by Dr. Eich, of Vermont, and the State 

 supplied the medicine, with instructions for its use. Some of our 

 breeders claim to have had good results with the treatment, but the 

 evidence collected altogether has shown it to be of no practical bene- 

 fit. 



The most effectual method known for combating the disease is in 

 the line of antiseptics. Considerable work has been done by the 

 State in reference to diagnosing the disease. It has been found that 

 the blood examination or what is known as the complement fixation 

 test will show the infected animals in a high percentage of cases. 

 When the diseased animals are known, can be isolated and kept 

 under antiseptic conditions, it is possible to keep the disease from 

 spreading to other members of the herd and advantage can be taken 

 of the fact that aborting animals usually develop an immunity. 

 They seldom abort the second time and it is very unusual to find one 

 that aborts the third time. Some may become sterile as a result of 

 the disease, but after the second abortion tbey usually carry tlic 

 calves to full term. It can be controlled in herds by following the 

 instructions in circular No. 20, which is sent out by the State Live- 

 stock Sanitary Board. Breeders of valuable cattle are recommended 

 to adopt rigid sanitary measures for its control. 



Many young animals still die each year with such diseases as navel 

 infection, white scours, joint evil, paratyphoid infection and calf 

 pneumonia. These diseases are practically all caused by the same 

 class of infectious organism, and when once they become established 

 in a herd or in a stable, the losses each year in young animals is 

 very discouraging, as practically all cases are incurable and the 

 fatality is high. The only means of meeting the losses from this class 

 of diseases is in their prevention, and prevention can only be brought 

 about by a rigid system of sanitation or what is known in medicine 

 as surgical cleanliness. This can be brought about in a practical 



