18 



opinion that the proffered federal indemnity could not mean an additional 

 premium to be paid to the owner, but was to be regarded more as an 

 encouragement to those state legislatures which had not yet provided 

 laws and indemnification funds for the suppression of tuberculosis. 

 In the meantime, forms, vouchers and blanks forwarded by the federal 

 Bureau of Animal Industry provide only for the indemnification of the 

 owner directly by the said Bureau, while our law (Act 204:, Session 

 Laws, 1919) leaves no option except appraisal and reimbursement at 

 present day market value, a contingency which, in an opinion rendered 

 by the attorney general under date of October 8, "might result in the 

 owner of the destroyed cattle being paid more than the full market 

 value thereof." 



The question has therefore been submitted to the chief of the federal 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, pending whose decision the approval of local 

 claims for reimbursement must remain in abeyance. 



The testing of the herd of beef cattle at Wailupe resulted in the con- 

 demnation of 52 head out of 227. All of the reactors have been 

 slaughtered and all were found upon post-mortem examination to be 

 affected with tuberculosis, seven to such an extent as to require con- 

 demnation of the carcasses as unfit for food. 



There still remain in the neighborhood of 50 animals untested and, as 

 a number of these undoubtedly are affected, no time should be lost in 

 catching and confining them in such a way that they can be handled. 

 The complaint of neighbors, to the effect that there is liability of 

 transmission of tuberculosis infection from these animals to their dairy 

 herds, is not without reason. That the cattle are wild and parts of the 

 pasture overgrown with thorny brush, in places nearly impenetrable, 

 cannot be allowed as an excuse for continuing a center of infection 

 which possibly may have been contributory to the persistence of the 

 disease in that neighborhood. The animals which cannot be rounded 

 up, roped or trapped, should be shot, and if the land is to be continued 

 as a cattle ranch, subdivisions, pens and chutes that will allow of the 

 proper handling of the cattle as domestic animals should be provided. 

 The eradication of tuberculosis from a herd which on the first test has 

 shown twenty-three per cent of infection cannot be accomplished in 

 short order, unless extermination of the herd is decided upon, and that 

 would undoubtedly prove the most economic measure in the long run. 

 With beef prices where they are now and with the strong demand for 

 light cattle persisting, it would seem to the writer that no more favor- 

 able time could be found for ridding a valuable property of a menace 

 which can only detract from its usefulness and discourage development. 



FORAGE POISONING ON OAHU. 



An outbreak of forage poisoning was reported from one of the large 

 pineapple plantations on the windward side of this island. Four mules 

 had died within two days. Hemorrhagic septicemia was suspected, but 

 careful post-mortems of two but recently dead animals failed to show 

 any symptoms except those of acute indigestion with overloading and 

 paralysis of the stomach as the direct cause of death. Eecent rains 

 had caused the appearance of an abundance of succulent feed, which, 

 in connection with the ripening of numerous pineapples, proved too 

 much of a temptation and the animals simply gorged themselves to 

 death. 



After removal of the remaining animals to less abundant pastures, 

 no further death was reported. 



Eespeetfully submitted, 



VICTOR A. NORGAARD, 



Territorial Veterinarian. 



