336 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



mouth disease and rinderi)est. Many of you can remember when 

 contagious pleuropneumonia in cattle occurred in our own country. 

 It cost our Government |1, 500,000 and took but five years to exteri- 

 minate it. The last case of this disease seen in the United States was 

 in New Jersey early in the sjiring of 1802. Jn some countries it is 

 still prevalent. The recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is 

 familiar to all. These two diseases were exterminated quickly in 

 this country because their grent dangers were realized and proper 

 measures wore adopted for their suppression. 



We have occasional losses every year in Pennsylvania from autliiux, 

 yet it has never proved the pest here that it has and does in other 

 countries. It is usually a fatal disease in most all of our domestic 

 animals as well as in man. While we know no treatment to cur© the 

 disease, we do know hoAv to prevent it and protect susceptible animals 

 from its ravages. Kinderj^est is one of the worst animal plagues 

 known in cattle. It has probably caused more extensive losses to 

 agriculture than any other one disease. Fortunately we have never 

 had an outbreak of rinderpest in America yet the disease is to be 

 feared. It does occur in other countries, is contagious, the contagion 

 can be carried long distances in food, clothing, hair, hides, etc. It 

 is extremely necessary that our country should have men trained in 

 the mysterias of this and similar uncommon disease, at all times in 

 order that they might be recognized at once if they should appear 

 and the necessary measures adopted for their eradication- 



The National and State Government prescribe methods for hand- 

 ling the most important contagious diseases. By enforcing measures 

 for suppressing such dangerous diseases as foot-and-mouth disease, 

 contagious pleuro-pneumonia, rabies, glanders, etc., owners are fre- 

 quently put to great inconvenience, and in some cases hardships are 

 imposed that are hard to bear. It seems best in such cases that the 

 few should suffer for the protection of the many. 



To the uninformed it may appear extravagant or unreasonable for 

 the State and National Government to spend money for Veterinary 

 education and sanitary police measures. When it is realized what 

 vast sums of money are invested in livestock and to what extent our 

 people are dependent upon this industry it will be seen that very 

 little is spent comparatively speaking to protect them from the ex- 

 tensive losses that are entirely possible. Our State spends about 

 11,000,000 annually for the maintenance of the National Guard and 

 for police protection. The dangers to our livestock industry from 

 animal plagues, contagious find infectious diseases are much greater 

 than the possibilities of war. The nine hundred members of the 

 veterinary profession should be looked upon as so many members of 

 our National Guard. It is the duty of each Commonwealth to see 

 that ample facilities are afforded to educate men for this service. 

 It is very inexpensive when compared with other forms of protection 

 that is afforded our citizens and the monetary value represented. 

 Veterinarians and agriculturalists in general should know the great 

 dangers that exist in this line and be prepared at a moment's 

 warning to meet dangerous contagions or infectious diseases and 

 know how to exterminate them. 



The great mysteries surrounding the causes of many infectious 

 diseases have been cleared up in the past fifty years. The true cause 

 of anthrax, which perplexed nations for centuries, was one of the 



