Report of State Veterinarian. 59 



make these regulations effective they should he modified to provide for 

 the permit for removal of all cattle from the pul^lic stock yards, no 

 matter for what purpose. The judgment of the inspector in charge will 

 largely govern as to whether or not the tuberculin test or the affidavit 

 is necessary. 



A man representing the State ought to be placed at each of the 

 public markets to attend to this inspection, together with the supervising 

 of the injection of hogs with hog cholera serum for shipment to the 

 country for stock purposes. 



We were unable to get the cpiarantine regulations thoroughly under- 

 stood and in operation during the past year, and undoubtedly some ship- 

 ments of cattle into the State were made without the regulations being 

 complied with. However, we now have the machinery in good working 

 order, and there is .practically no chance for the further introduction 

 of tuberculous stuff. Since the regulations were put into effect May 1, 

 1910, 2,637 shipments of cattle for pasture and feeding or immediate 

 slaughter were made, covering 102,908 head of cattle. We received cer- 

 tificates of health giving the tuberculin test of 1,310 lots for 2,003 head 

 of cattle for dairy or breeding purposes. 



As would naturally be expected, some of the inspections made of 

 cattle for importation into the State were deficient. In one case the 

 certificate covering the shipment of 52 head of dairy cattle showed so 

 'l)lainly that the inspection had been carelessly made that the cattle were 

 held for retest at destination and six head out of the 52 were found to 

 be tuberculous. In another shipment of 32 head, of which the certificate 

 of health seemed deficient, a retest was made after arrival at destination 

 and 6 head more were found tuberculous. We have no way to ascertain 

 definitely how many tuberculous animals were kept out of the State by 

 the operation of the quarantine regulations. 



INVESTIGATION. 



Reports received at this office indicate that "swamp fever" or 

 "pernicious enemia"- among horses has gradually spread from the areas 

 in southwest Missouri, where it existed last year, and now affects horses 

 over almost the entire southwestern part of the State. The manner in 

 which this disease spreads from one animal to another is not yet thor- 

 oughly understood, and it is therefore impossible to adopt intelligent 

 measures for its suppression. Unless some discoveries are made in the 

 near future by which we will be enabled to control this disease, I recom- 

 mend that the Board employ a specialist for a few months sometime dui'- 

 ing the couiing year to make a special study of tlie nature of this disease. 



