BUKEAU OF ANIMAL Es'DUSTRY. 443 



ArsTLN, Tex., February 11, 1385. 

 Wo, the undersigned stockmen, certify that we have this day made a careful ex- 

 amination of the Jersey herd belonging to Messrs. Frisbie & Lake, and found theui 

 thin in flesh, and showing evidence of bad treatment. 



We farther, at the request of the owners, selected the poorest and most sickly lonk- 

 iug animal in the herd, and killed it in our presence, and Drs. Carothers and Tayl>pr 

 carefully examined all of its organs, and stated that they found no evidence of dis- 

 ease, and especially of the lungs. 



In onr opinion the herd is free from disease, and especially from contagious pleuro- 

 pneumonia. 



(Signed as foUows'i : 



A. E. Carothers, SI. D. ; JI. A. Taylor, M. D. ; Ike T. Prvor ; Seth M.abby ; Geo. 

 W. Littleiield ; F. M. Maddox ; C. E. Anderson ; J. JI. Day ; W. S. Ca- 

 rothers; John W. Driskill; A. L. Casparis ; J. li. Blocker; James W. 

 Taylor. 



This examination of a single animal selected from a herd of tliat size 

 simply- because it had an unthrifty appearance was of no value in de- 

 cidiig: whether the remainder of the cattle were healthy or were in- 

 fected. Animals affected with chronic plenro-pneumonia are not always 

 the worst appearing ones in a herd; on the contrary, they are often the 

 very fattest and look the healthiest, as was the case with the cow which 

 caused the outbrealc in Connecticut in 1S83. The only way to deter- 

 mine that such a herd of animals is free from danger is for an experi- 

 enced veterinarian to carefully examine the lungs of every animal in it 

 t)y auscultation and percussion, and tlien to keep the whole lot of them 

 under professional supervision for three months to make sure that no new 

 cases develop during that time. The examination made by the stock- 

 men in this case was worse than useless, because it inspired a feeling of 

 security in the minds of people ignorant of the characters of the dis- 

 ease, while it was of no value towards demon.strating the freedom from 

 contagJOD. In this case, as in many others that have come under my 

 observation, members of the medical profession were responsible for 

 thus deceiving the public in regard to their ability to detect this 

 plague. As a rule, the more Intelligent members of the medical pro- 

 fession, recognizing how much they still have to learn about those 

 diseases which tliey have studied and observed, see how absurd it is 

 for them to claim any special knowledge of maladies which they have 

 never studied and have never seen. But there are others, living ex- 

 amples that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing," who do not 

 hesitate to make the most of the confidence reposed in them by the 

 community as medical men, and assert the superiority of their knowl- 

 edge of animal diseases to that of the veterinarian who makes them a 

 specialty. It is hoped that this species of quackery will in time disap- 

 pear, but, nevertheless, it has been, during the last few years, a very 

 annoying obstacle in the way of suppressing animal plagues. 



Now, as to the healthfulness of these animals that were taken to 

 Texas, wo are at present in a position to give very conclusive evidenoo. 

 Dr. H. W. Kowland, an inspector of the Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 was directed to proceed to Austin early in May, ISS.j, and to collect all 

 attainable information as to this herd. He remained there until July, 

 and from his investigations the following facts appear: 



The number of cattle shipped at Cynthiana was originally stated by 

 Dr. Woodroffe at 125. Mr. Frisbie informed Dr. Trumbowcr and the 

 Ohief of this Bureau that only 124 were actually taken. Be this as it 

 may, the number landed alive at Austin was only 118. In other words, 

 at least G died between Cynthiana and Austin. Between January 0, 

 the day of their arrival, and February 12, the day of sale, 22 animals 

 died and 1 was slaughtered for examination by the stockmen the day 



