30 DEPARTMENTAL EEPOETS. 



year are returned, and animals straying in from sections of the country covering 

 100 miles in area through Nebraska and South Dakota are claimed by owners and 

 removed by them. At the round-up there were present at least ^00 men from 

 different sections — horse buyers from Iowa and Omaha, as well as breeders from 

 Nebraska and Sotith Dakota. 



On finding a sorrel mare which was badly diseased, I asked the name of the 

 owner, but no one would acknowledge the ownership of the animal. It was 

 reported by men who knew the brand that she came from the sand hills south- 

 east of Gordon, Nebr. I assumed the responsibility in case a claim was made for 

 indemnity, killed the mare, and made a post-mortem examination to give those 

 present an opportunity to learn more of the nature of the disease. The lesions of 

 maladie du coit were very pronounced. 



It was the desire of the breeders and owners of the horses present that the other 

 diseased animals found should be killed on the spot, but not knowing who the 

 owners were and wishing to show the people of this section the disease in its 

 various stages, they were removed to the agency. 



Several diseased animals have been slaughtered without indemnity, as they 

 were unclaimed. 



BIOCHEMIC DIVISION. 

 ROUTINE WORK. 



The routine work of preparing and shipping branding ink, tubercu- 

 lin, and mallein has been continued as heretofore. This division has 

 shipped about 5(30 gallons of branding ink for use in marking inspected 

 meats, 44,410 doses of tuberculin, and 7,188 doses of mallein. The 

 routine work in connection with serum experiments, hog cholera, and 

 swine plague have been continued. A large number of herds were 

 treated in the West during the summer and fall of 1900 and the spring 

 of 1901, and the work is being continued at the present time. In gen- 

 eral, the results have been of an encouraging character. At the same 

 time, in some herds other factors have ai'isen for consideration, which 

 have been and are now being investigated with tlie hope of throwing 

 additional light on the methods of handling these troublesome diseases. 



All this work has entailed a large amount of routine work in the 

 preparation of ciiltures for the inoculation of animals, in tlie prepara- 

 tion of serum, and especially in the identification of cultures obtained 

 from lierds in the West which have been under treatment. In the 

 progress of this work a number of new varieties of bacilli belonging 

 to the hog-cholera group liave been isolated, and other important 

 properties and variations have been carefully studied. 



LABORATORY WORK IN TUBERCULOSIS. 



The work in connection with tuberculosis has been continued. A 

 number of germs from different species of animals have been secured 

 and cultures made with the purpose in view of obtaining sufficient 

 material for continuing the biochemical and other investigations 

 already begun. The experiments with the serum for tuberculosis in 

 the human being have also been continued at one of the sanatoriums 

 in New York, and the results, as reported by the physician in charge, 

 are of a very encouraging character. Some feeding experiments on 

 chickens have also been conducted during the year and tlie results ai-e 

 about ready for publication. A number of routine analyses and 

 examinations liave been made as the work demanded. A large num- 

 ber of investigations in connection with tuberculosis, in addition to 

 those already named, liave been begun, and special attention will be 

 given to the injuiy to man from bovine, or rather animal, 1 uherculosis. 



There has been some investigation in connection with milk, and 



