October I, 1915.1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



1 'ittom of the cape, like a tent, the rising fumes fr, .in the dis- 

 iiifictant would he caught and held until they had done their 

 intended work. For this fumigation a mixture of formalin and 

 permanganate of potash were used in their crystalhne form. 

 When mixed, a vigorous reaction takes place, and a large quan- 

 tity of formaldehyde gas is liberated. This method is particularly 

 eiticient on account of the rapidity with which the gas is given off 

 as well as because of its searching quality and its bacilli-killing 

 properties. Thus, before an inspector left an infected place and 

 packed his belongings to go somewhere else, his rubber clothing 

 was both disinfected and fumigated. 



The actual disinfecting of barnyards, stables, stockyards and 

 the like must, of necessity, be carried out on a larger scale than 

 would be possible by hand distribution 

 of tile germicide. Accordingly, in Penn- 

 sylvania alone, the inspectors, of which 

 there were quite ISO. were provided with 

 steam-driven disinfecting pumps. As 

 these could not use bichloride of mercury 

 without inviting injury to the mechan- 

 isms, cresol — a preparation of creosote — 

 was employed for a disinfectant. The 

 force had a battery of 25 pumps of this 

 sort, capable of spraying a large area 

 very quickly, and each pump had at least 

 100 feet of the best rubber hose. This 

 gives some idea of the manner and ex- 

 tent in which rubber served to effectually 

 deal with one of the worst epidemics of 

 the foot-and-mouth disease. 



Of course, there are other diseases 

 that are more or less with us always, 

 such as the result of the animal tick, 

 tuberculosis, Texas fever, anthra.x, hog 

 cholera, etc. All our state and govern- 

 ment inspectors are continually on duty. 

 and their supervision extends to post 

 mortem examinations of animals as well 

 as to the examination of meats and meat 

 products in the preparing. Some of this 

 work is of .such a character that the men 

 must wear rubber boots and possibly 

 rubber cnnts in the discharge of their 

 duties. This is particularly so where 

 animals have to be dipped in suitable 

 iiermicid"- to kill the disease-breeding 



tick. etc. l.VSPKCTING .1 



In order to safeguard our dotTiestic 

 herds all imported animals are subject to inspection and quaran- 

 tine just as are human immigrants. But this precaution is not 

 always so confined. The service operates likewise to keep out 

 certain diseases which are communicable from animals to people, 

 as. for example, Malta fever — a malady which can be trans- 

 mitted from infected goats by way of their milk. We have 

 a number of animal quarantine stations where the incoming beasts 

 are carefully watched for varying periods, and in the admin- 

 istration of certain divisions of this important work rubber 

 plays its part to protect the operatives and to facilitate thorough 

 fumigation and disinfecting. Despite the precautions which we 

 insist upon before shipment from abroad, and the care taken 

 in transit, diseased animals reach our ports, and for this reason 

 our animal quarantine is most exacting. 



The government owns and maintains three quarantine sta- 

 tions for animals imported through the ports of Boston, New 

 York and Baltimore. The one at Athenia, New Jersey, 16 miles 

 from New York, covers about 51 acres of ground and has 23 

 stables. The stables, most of which are modern brick structures, 

 have a capacity of about 600 cattle. At every stage of their 



disinfected barges and cars are available. Rubber hose and 

 rubber garments are used extensively, and as the station is widely 

 illuminated by electric lighting, rubber, of course, is a necessary 

 insulator. .As the scientific side of this work calls for a bac- 

 teriological laboratory, here, too, rubber figures in many ways. 



In addition to those at Boston, New York and Baltimore, ani- 

 mal quarantine or inspection stations are maintained by the 

 government at Chicago, Kansas City and South St. Joseph. 

 Missouri; Omaha. Nebraska; National Stock Yards, Illinois: 

 Indianapolis, Indiana ; Buffalo, New York, and Pittsburgh, Penn- 

 sylvania, as well as at the following additional ports of export : 

 Portland, Elaine; Philadelphia; Norfolk and Newport News. 

 ^ir.s^inia; Port Royal. South Carolina; New Orleans, and Gal- 

 veston. Besides what the federal author- 

 ities do in this matter the states, too. do 

 their part, and this makes in all a fair- 

 sized army of inspectors and their sub- 

 ordinates. In addition, the railroad com- 

 panies and proprietors of stockyards and 

 stables located at the ports of export 

 are required to keep separate, clean, and 

 disinfected stockyards and pens or 

 stables for the use of export animals. 



.Ml of the principal foreign nations 

 maintain quarantine services like our 

 own against communicalile diseases 

 reaching their shores through immi- 

 grants, tourists, etc., and certain of them 

 exercise the same safeguards in keeping 

 out livestock carrj'ing the germs of in- 

 fection. In some cases the inflicted 

 animals are segregated only for a pre- 

 scribed period, while in other ports dis- 

 eased beasts are promptly exterminated. 

 The Canadian government has patterned 

 its service after ours in the matter of 

 animal quarantine. It must also be re- 

 membered that we maintain inspectors 

 broad at the principal ports from which 

 kittle for breeding purposes are shipped 

 ■ tliis country, and there, too. india rub- 

 ■I r Unds kindred uses. 



The pumps used fcJr disinfecting are 



commonly of two kinds : those operated 



by hand and those functioned by either 



steam power oi gasolene motors. The 



hand-power affairs are much like the 



pumps used for spraying orchards. The 



steam-driven apparatus, of course, are bigger and are intended 



to deal quickly with larger surfaces. With all of them rubber 



hose and a good deal of it is needed. 



But we are no less careful regarding the animals shipped out 

 of the country, for the volume of that business depends entirely 

 upon the healthfulness and the desirability of American live- 

 stock. Therefore, our inspection of these animals for export is 

 extremely exacting, cattle are tested with tuberculin for the de- 

 tection of tuberculosis and equine aniinals with mallein for the 

 detection of glanders. During the five years ending with 1^3, 

 the Bureau of .Animal Industry made over 2,500,000 inspections 

 of animals for export. These places of inspection are scattered 

 all over the United States. Today, because of the war in Europe. 

 we are exporting a still greater number of animals to supply 

 the needs of some of those foreign nations. 



No ship is allowed to take cattle from our shores unless it is 

 in a fit condition to receive them and likely to carry this livestock 

 to the other side and deliver them there in a healthy and accept- 

 able state. To make these vessels proper carriers it is needful 

 to disinfect them, and again rubber lends its invaluable service 



Steer's Mouth. 



imdling during the passage from ship to quarantine station, to the proper execution of this precautionary work. 



