f 
; ‘ahd ; ae a $y NC ia p 9 x 4 ks a aa es a ie 
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. ~ 
4 
2 4 <r : . y “ sive peat 
agreed to co-operate with the Department for the suppression ef — 
aaron a tae They have, however, expressed a willingness to — 
at 
alleged outbreaks of the disease, and of its prevalence in any part of 
the State. Two inspectors were detailed for such- investigation in 
the month of October, 1887, and have been steadily at work there ~ 
since that time. They have found no herds affected with the plague ' 
except such as were known to the State authorities, and there are at 
this time but very few of these. 
There has been much anxiety felt in many parts of the country in 
regard to the existence of pleuro-pneumonia in Pennsylvania. It 
would appear from the official information obtained by this Depart- 
ment that the extent of the disease in that State has been great] 
overestimated. Unfortunately, the authorities in charge of this work 
in Pennsylvania have opinions as to the measures necessary to erad- 
icate the disease which are not shared by the authorities of other 
States, or by the majority of the veterinary profession. They not 
only practice inoculation, but they spare those animals which are 
mildly affected, and after the ordinary period of quarantine allow 
_them to mingle again with other cattle and to be sent to the markets 
of that or other States. Such inoculated and convalescent cattle are 
almost universally regarded as dangerous and capable of communi- 
cating the contagion to others for an indefinite period. So much 
alarm has been expressed because of the danger of the plague being 
spread by these cattle that the Department has offered to purchase 
and slaughter without cost to the State all exposed animals which 
the local authorities were unwilling to destroy at State expense. A 
favorable reply was made to this proposition, but no action has been 
taken on it, and [I learn that it is proposed to soon release from quar- 
antine the affected herds at Frankford, in which it is alleged there 
still exist chronic cases of the malady. 
It would appear from these facts that there should be some pro- 
vision in the national law which would enable this Department to 
protect other States in such cases more perfectly than is at present 
possible. * 
j MASSACHUSETTS. 
Early in the year the discovery of cases of acute pleuro-pneumonia 
was reported from Boston, and the Department was requested by the | 
overnor to assist the State board in investigations as to its preva- 
ence and in the enforcement of measures for its eradication. In- 
spectors were at once sent there, who found that the affected animals 
had recently been shipped there from Buffalo, N. Y., and it appeared 
that they had either come to Buffalo from Chicago or had mingled 
there with cows from Chicago. A thorough inspection and super- 
vision of the dairies about Boston was kept up for several months, 
and particularly of the herds in which had been introduced those 
animals which came in the same car with the affected ones. Fortu- 
nately but few cases occurred, and it was only found necessary to 
destroy a very small number of animals. 
*Since the writing of this report the authorities of the State of Pennsylvania 
have signed an agreement,for co-operation with the Bureau of Animal Industry. 
Inoculation will be no longer practiced, and all diseased and exposed animals will 
be slaughtered as soon as discovered. 
cet e , 
ave the inspectors of the Department make an investigation of — 
