16 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



December 4th, we called Dr. Liautard, of the New York Veterinary 

 College, to examine the horses. He reported that inoculation alone 

 would settle the question of the nature of the malady, and with our 

 authority took some of the virus from both horses to New York and 

 inoculated two healthy horses, resulting in the production of glanders 

 and farcy in both horses, and he reports " both horses from which the 

 virus was obtained as being affected with chronic glanders." (Note. — 

 The testimony of the veterinarians, by which the commission have been 

 governed, is given in full with this report.) 



The latter part of August Mr. Merwin sent us the opinion of Henry G. 

 Newton, endorsed by other lawyers, that the commission were required 

 to appraise and slaughter the horses if glandercd, to be paid for by the 

 State under the general law on contagious diseases of domestic animals. 



The opinion of the commission that it was not our duty to appraise 

 and slaughter horses affected with glanders has been sustained by Gov. 

 Andrews and other legal authorities consulted by us. (Note. — This 

 legal opinion is also appended to the report.) 



The horses are still living, and the order of quarantine is still in force, 

 no farther action having been taken by the commission. The case has 

 proved a tedious one; we have spared no pains to elicit the truth, and 

 our action has always been controlled by the best veterinary authority, 

 yet tempered with a tender regard for Mr. Merwin, and not from any 

 doubts of the nature of the malady affecting the horses. 



E. H. Hyde, ) 



T. S. Gold, > Commissioners. 



H. L. Stewaut, ) 



REPORT OF GEORGE H. PARKINSON. 



New York City, Feb. 3, 1881. 



August 4, 1880, in company with Commissioners Hyde and Stewart, 

 I examined a pair of horses belonging to Henry S. Merwin of Durham, 

 Conn. These horses were quarantined per order Commissioner, July 21, 

 1880, and I had seen No. 1 previous to this and condemned her for 

 glanders, also warning owner to be cautious or to kill the animal. 



No. 1. Sex and color — Mare, dark brown, near hind pastern wliite, 

 with star in forehead. Age — About seven or eight years old. Disease — 

 Glanders. History — This mare was received in exchange for another 

 horse and a quantity of hay from A. E. Austin, liveryman of Mcriden, 

 who claimed to have brought the horses from Vermont in the spring. 

 Mr. Merwin called the attention of Austin to the enlarged submaxillary 

 glands and discharge from nose of one horse, but he passed it off 

 (Austin) by saying that it was only a cold and would be all right soon. 



Symptoms — About the same as on July 21st. Pulse 48 ; respirations 

 32; temperature 100 J° F. ; breathing rather stertorous ; also one or two 



