On Plant PArnoi.oc;v anh Ra( rinuoi.or.v 133 



knowing no bacteriology and little animal pathology, accepted the 

 position and began to study the subjects thoroughly. In 1884 

 reports were made of " important experiments and investigations 

 of the Veterinary Division.' " This report, treating of work done 

 before the Bureau of Animal hidustry was created by legislative 

 enactment, described pleuro-pneumonia, enzootics of ergotism and 

 "foot-and-mouth" diseases, southern cattle fever, and swine 

 plague. This, and reports of the next years, showed the strong 

 influence of work and discoveries from the laboratories of 

 - Europe."* 



Statistical studies of the geographic distribution of domestic 

 animal diseases throughout the United States were being made. 

 Preventive, remedial, and control measures were being tried and 

 tested. The experience of other countries was being examined, 

 and the published writings of Pasteur, Koch, Loffler, Schiitz, Roux, 

 Klein, and many others were studied, their recommended pro- 

 cedures being applied when found effectual. Origmal investiga- 

 tions were started, notably that of contagious pleuropneumonia of 

 cattle under Salmon, one of the main reasons why the Bureau was 

 established."^ With Gage, Theobald Smith prepared some papers 

 on investigation techniques in pathology. As late as 1889, how- 

 ever. Secretary Rusk complained that, owing to inadequate labora- 

 tory facilities, modern scientific study of some diseases could not 

 be undertaken because of the danger of communicating the mala- 

 dies to employees of the Department. "The laboratories," he 

 said,'^'' " are not sufficiently isolated." Even so, animal pathology, 

 as a research science including the study of bacteria, gained sub- 

 stantial recognition in the work of the Department before vege- 

 table pathology became an important factor. Plant pathology was 

 still a field, rather than an indoor laboratory, science. In Wash- 

 ington a few small rooms in the spacious red brick building of the 

 Department was given over to the study of plants and plant 

 diseases. But the quarters, nearer the roof than the main floors, 

 were by no means commensurate with the needs. 



During the academic year 1886-1887 the trustees of the Johns 

 Hopkins Hospital of Baltimore had granted permission to use the 



"^^^Rep't of Comm'er of Agric. for 1884: 181-267; 1885: 431-521; 1886: 593-686; 

 1887:457-522; 1S88: 145-220. 

 "^D. E. Salmon, Yearbook U. S. Dep't of Agric. for 1899: 111-113. 

 'First Rep't of Sec'y of Agric. for 1889: 40 ff. 



130 



