CONTAGIOUS DISEASES AMONG CATTLE. 400 



which number only seventy-seven were found healthy, an<l 

 paid for. In 18G4 the disease ra idc its appearance among 

 the cattle belonging to the city of Boston, on Deer Island ; 

 they were killed, thirty-four in number, only seventeen of 

 which were found to be healthy, and for which compensation 

 was made. 



From 1860 to 18G4 constant watch was kept, and effort 

 made to " stamp out" this disease. Whenever one or more 

 diseased animals were found in a herd, the whole herd was 

 killed to prevent its dissemination to other herds, but no 

 compensation was made for any but healthy animals. Feb. 

 28, 1878, an act was passed which said that " the selectmen 

 of towns, the mayor and aldermen of cities, and the cattle 

 commissioners of the Commonwealth, shall have and may 

 exercise the powers, and shall be subject to the duties for 

 the prevention of the diseases known as farcy and glanders 

 among horses, asses and mules, and for the prevention of 

 contasious and infectious diseases among domestic animals," 

 as are conferred upon those officers by the law relating to 

 contagious diseases among cattle. It also provided that the 

 animals condemned and killed should be appraised in thuir 

 diseased condition, by one of the Commissioners, a veterinary 

 surgeon selected by the board, and a person selected by the 

 owner of the condemned animal. Difficulties were met at 

 once in administering this law. If the Commissioners had 

 pursued the same course with this disease as was practised 

 with pleuro-pneumonia in cattle, they would have killed all 

 the exposed animals in a barn where only a part were actu- 

 ally diseased, and appraised and paid only for those killed 

 Avhich were in health. But in the opinion of the Commis- 

 sioners the exigencies of the case did not require such whole- 

 sale slaughter, and following the advice of the Attorney 

 General, only diseased animals were appraised, and in the 

 manner provided by the law. In practice, it was soon found 

 that this appraisal was little better than a farce, it often 

 costing more to make the appraisal than was awarded for 

 the diseased animal ; and besides, it changed the intent and 

 administration of the law as applied to the suppression of 

 contagious pleuro-pneumonia among cattle, which, in the 

 opinion of the Commission, the Legislature never intended. 



