REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 25 
and hence it was deemed advisable to confine the investigation to those 
States and localities where the disease was most extensive, virulent, and 
fatal. I have more recently appointed an examiner for Virginia, who 
has devoted a portion of his time to an examination of a fatal disease 
prevailing among cattle in some of the northern and northeastern coun- 
ties of that State, and who pronounces the disease pleuro-pneumonia. 
Previous to the beginning of this examination and investigation, every 
disease incident to swine was known as “‘hog-cholera,” but the examiners, 
whose reports are now being prepared, will show that this class of farm 
stock is subject to almost as many different and distinctly marked dis- 
eases, and of equally as malignant, contagious, and fatal a character, as 
those which afflict mankind. Their reports will also show the identity 
of these diseases as they annually prevail in the great corn-growing and 
pork-raising regions of the country, and will demonstrate the absolute 
necessity of a continuation of this investigation until definite results are 
obtained as to the causes of these disorders, and the discovery of reme- 
dies for the same. In addition to the saving of so vast an amount of 
property, the health of our people demands the completion of this work, 
as it is a noteworthy but lamentable fact that many herds of hogs are 
shipped to the nearest market, or are slaughtered by the owner for 
marketable purposes, aS soon as disease makes its appearance among 
them. I shall therefore ask for an additional appropriation by Congress 
to enable me to carry forward and, if possible, complete this investiga- 
tion. 
One of the most dreaded contagious diseases known among cattle is 
that of pleuro-pneumonia or lung fever. It was brought to this country 
as early as the year 1845, and has since prevailed to a greater or less 
extent in several of the Eastern and a few of the Southern States. It 
made its appearance about a century ago in Central Europe, and has 
since spread to most European countries. With the exception of rinder- 
pest it is the most dreaded and destructive disease known among cattle. 
Unlike Texas cattle-fever, which is controlled in our more northern lati- 
tudes by the appearance of frost, this disease “knows no limitation by 
winter or summer, cold or heat, rain or drought, high or low latitude.” 
It is the most insidious of all plagues, for the poison may be retained in 
the system for a period of one or two months, or even for a longer period, 
in a latent form, and the infected animal in the mean time may be trans- 
ported from one end of the continent to the other in apparent good 
health, yet all the while carrying and scattering the seeds of this dreaded 
pestilence. 
Since the appearance of this affection on our shores it has prevailed 
at different times in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New 
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and in 
the District of Columbia. It has recently shown itself at two points in 
Virginia (Alexandria and Lynchburg), where it was recently prevailing 
in a virulent form. 
