175 



The process here has been as follows : If the disease is found to exist in a 

 a certain herd, tha't herd is isolated and appraised by three disinterested men. 

 If other herds have been exposed to this, then they are likewise isolated and 

 appraised. If many of these cattle are in high condition, it is judged best to 

 slaughter and sell them for beef; if, on the other hand, they are thin in flesh, it 

 may be best to continue their isolation till all danger is past. The commission- 

 ers have also power to prevent the passage of cattle believed to be infected from 

 one town (township) to another, *or from another State to this. In fact, I think 

 this law is all that is needed by any State to control any contagious disease 

 that may appear among cattle. 



If I can assist you by any further information in my possession to prevent 

 the introduction and spread of the alarming disease now desolating England I 

 shall be very happy to do so. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



CHARLES P. PRESTON. 



Hon. Isaac Newton. 



We return our acknowledgements to Mr. Preston for his kind assistance in 

 the efforts we are making to put the country in a condition to meet the cattle 

 plague should it unfortunately be introduced into the United States. We en- 

 tirely concur with him when he says one or two weeks' loss of time might en- 

 tail on the country millions of dollars of loss ; and it is the duty of this depart- 

 ment, of all legislators, and all citizens, to prevent such a misfortune by timely 

 foreseeing and providing against the evil. 



The law of Massachusetts was first enacted to eradicate the pleuro-pneumo- 

 nia, and recently extended to the cattle plague and all other contagious diseases. 

 In its general nature it is the same as used in the western German states — the 

 cordon — so often recommended in these reports, and insisted on as the only 

 efficient means of treating the rinderpest. Great Britain, after trying the curing 

 process with no other result than to demonstrate the folly of relying upon it, 

 was forced at last to resort tD " isolation," and preventing the movement of cat- 

 tle. This it did in February lasC, and the result is .thus spoken of by the hon- 

 don Times : 



" The steady decline of the cattle plague continues to justify the legislation 

 of February. The progress of the disease, which up to that time had been con- 

 stantly maintained, was immediately arrested by the measures adopted, and the 

 return which we published on' Saturday last shows only one-sixth of the num- 

 ber of cases reported seven weeks before. In the week ending with the 17th of 

 February upwards of 18,000 cases were found to have occurred. In the week 

 ending with the 7th instant, the numbers returned were but 3,361; and though 

 some addition must be made for cases not reported in time for publication, the 

 corrected figures are only 4,008. Upon the whole, therefore, we may fairly 

 suppose that a total of 3,700 cases, in place of 18,300, now represents the pro- 

 portions to which the plague has been reduced by seven weeks of decisive 

 action," 



In laying, then, the following law of Massachusetts before Congress and the 

 States we have the most convincing proofs of its utility and necessity : 



