99 



as above quoted. Even Section 505 pertaining to the appoint- 

 ment of live stock inspectors cannot be interpreted to invest 

 such inspectors with professional ability that would obviate the 

 veterinarian, while Section 513, Reporting disease, makes it im- 

 perative that any person knowing of or having reason to believe 

 that an animal is suffering, etc.. shall report same forthwith to 

 a territorial veterinarian, etc. It would therefore seem that in 

 case this dangerous and destructive disease, the origin of which 

 is unknown, should persist in the Hamakua district, and perhaps 

 spread to neighboring districts, the employment of a veterinarian 

 will become imperative. At the same time it seems incompre- 

 hensible that a chain of plantations with perhaps one thousand 

 work animals, upon which they depend absolutely for existence, 

 and the majority of which cannot at the present time be replaced 

 for less than $300.00 per head, should be willing to leave their 

 health, that is their working capacity, to the tender mercies of 

 ignorant stable hands, when the saving of one or two per cent 

 of the animals per year would pay for the services of a compe- 

 tent veterinarian. 



BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL. 



From a large number of tuberculin tests applied by myself, or 

 in company with Dr. Shipman, it would appear that bovine tuber- 

 culosis is far from being as prevalent on Hawaii as it is, or has 

 been, on Oahu. Out of a bunch of 14 imported Hereford bulls 

 at Naalehu, Kau, one had died and the organs were sent to 

 Hilo for diagnosis. They -were found to be badly affected with 

 tuberculosis, and fearing that the remaining bulls might infect 

 the entire herd of several thousand cattle on a ranch where the 

 disease had never been knowai before, the manager's request to 

 have them tested was complied with. We were at the time test- 

 ing the dairies around Glenwood, where five reacters were found 

 in one herd. A machine was sent for me from Naalehu and 

 subsequently returned me to the Volcano House. One of the 

 imported bulls in question reacted to the tuberculin test and was 

 appraised and slaughtered. It was but slightly affected in both 

 lungs. The lesions were of recent origin and the disease must 

 have been contracted from the bull that had died first. At Pahoa 

 we tested seventy head without a single reacter, nor were any 

 found in the Hamakua district. 



Referring to the appended report of the Assistant Territorial 

 Veterinarian suggesting an amendment of the present law gov- 

 erning the payment of indemnification for cattle which have 

 been less than six months in the Territory, it will appear that 

 the last sentence in Section 4, which reads : 



''Provided, that no payment shall be made for an animal 

 which has been in the Territory for a period of less than six 

 months prior to the date of slaughter." 



might be effectively altered. 



