TENTH AXXrAL YEAR BOOK— PART XlJl 893 



Iowa has become the dumping gi'ound for a gi'eaf many of these unsound 

 stallions. The Iowa law should be so amended that the presence of any- 

 one of the -following named diseases w'ould disqualify a stallion or jack 

 from public service: Cataract; amaurosis (glass eye) ; periodic opthal- 

 mia (moon blindness); laryngeal hemiplegia (roaring or whistling); pul- 

 monary emphysema (heaves, broken wind) ; chorea (St. Vitus' dance, 

 crarapiness, shivering, string-halt); bone spavin; ringbone; navicular dis- 

 ease; bog spavin; curb, with curby formation of hock; glanders, farcy; 

 maladie du coit; urethral glet; mange; melanosis. 



Second. The lav*' should provide for an annual renewal fee as a pre- 

 caution against the misuse of the state certificate by unscrupulous par- 

 ties and to enable the department of agriculture to keep the list of sal- 

 lions active and up-to-date. This will be absolutely necessary if the 

 amendment with reference to the soundness of the animal is passed. 

 The renewal clause will bring about a more rigid enforcement of the law. 



Third. Section four of the law, with reference to advertising for pub- 

 lic service a stallion for which a state certificate has not been issued, 

 should be so amended as to include all newspaper advertisements as well 

 as hand bills or posters. 



Fourth. The general provisions of the law should be so amended to 

 include jacks as well as stalUons. 



If the law is amended to require the examination of stallions, a clause 

 should be inserted providing for a maximum fee to be charged by the 

 veterinarian making the examination, and a further provision that in 

 the event of such enactment the examination shall include all stallions 

 for which state certificates have been issued and are still being offered 

 for public service within the state, said examination to l;e made before 

 renewal is issued. 



The law does not contemplate that the department of agriculture shall 

 prosecute violations. Under the Iowa statutes defining the duties of 

 county attorneys the prosecution for the violation of any state laws taking 

 place in his county is made a part of his duties. As a rule, complaints 

 made to the department come in the form of letters notifying us of some 

 violation of the law but asking that their names be withheld from the 

 party upon w-hom they have informed. While the department cannot un- 

 dertake to prosecute persons violating the law (not being authorized 

 to do so), they will gladly turn over to the proper official any evidence 

 they may receive. When notice of a violation is received by the de- 

 partment the guilty party is furnished with a copy of the law, with a let- 

 ter calling his attention in particular to the penalty section. There are 

 many persons who will inform upon the owner of a stallion for not com- 

 plying with the law and will not assist in collecting the proper evidence 

 for a prosecution, but will condemn the department as not attending 

 to its duties or the law as being useless. Such complaints are unv\'orthy 

 of notice and merely show plainly the character of the person making 

 them. 



Since the taking effect of the present law% July 4, 190G, to May 1, 

 1909, there were issued 5,329 certificates and 722 transfers, From May 



