446 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



contagium does not usually affect the lungs when introduced by some 

 other channel, it follows of necessity that when it does attack the lungs 

 it must have been introduced directly into them. If inhaled in the air 

 breathed, it will fall upon one of two points — the air-tubes or the air- 

 cells — and there begin its baleful and destructive course. This is ex- 

 actly in accordance with the early lesions of the disease as found by Dr. 

 Law in his post-mortem examinations. 



In treating of preventive measiu-es, Dr. Law quotes an article pre- 

 pared by him and published in the National Live-Stock Journal for 

 March, 1878. This valuable paper was afterwards transferred to the 

 pages of special report No. 12 of this department, issued in September 

 last. Following this is a brief summary of the work of the New York 

 commission in its efforts to stamp out the disease in that State ; but as 

 the department has later advices from the author in regard to the work 

 actually accomplished by this commission, extracts fi'om Dr. Law's letter 

 are given in j^reference to quotations from this monograph work. The 

 letter bears date of New York City, December 9, 1879, and contains, 

 among other things, the following : 



To place our work in a "nutsliell," I would say that in tlie past ten months the in- 

 spectors in New York hare examined 40,000 liead of cattle, many of them several 

 times ; that we have slaughtered and indomuified the owners for 500 head of diseased 

 cattle, and that we have all but exterminated the plague from seven of the counties 

 in which we found it. At present the main center of the plague is in Bangs County 

 and the adjacent border of Queens County. 



In all country districts, where the cattle are kept on inclosed farms, and where the 

 people heartily co-operated, the work has been easy and in every case speedily 

 crowned with success. In the cities and suburbs, on the other hand, where cattle had 

 been accustomed to graze on open lots, where interchange between diiferent herds 

 was frequent, and where the facilities for secret slaughter favored the covering up of 

 the disease, the greatest diflQculties had to be overcome. In New York City we se- 

 cured the hearty co-operation of the police, and effectually an-ested all movement 

 between city stables, allowed only sound animals fi'om healthy counties to enter 

 these stables, and none to leave save to immediate slaughter, and, finally, promptly 

 slaughtered all acute and chronic cases of the disease and saw to the disinfection of 

 the premises, aud the most gratifying success crowned our efforts. 



In Brooklyn, on the other hand, where our work was systematically opposed, Avhero 

 the aldermen defied the State law by passing an ordinance authorizing the pasturage 

 of cattle on opeu commons aud unfenced lots, and some of them signed special per- 

 mits for the movement of cattle in defiance of General Patrick's authority, and where 

 magistrates dismissed offenders who were brought before them and reprimanded the 

 pohcemen who had made the arrests, we soon lost the assistance of the police, which 

 was at first all we could wish, and we naturally failed to meet with the splendid suc- 

 cess seen in New York. 



It became evident early in the work that imless we could establish special inspec- 

 tion yards under our own control, and abolish the system of distributing cows 

 aud other store cattle from dealers' stables, our success would be very partial and 

 slow. In New York we were enal>lcd to do this through the liberality of the Union 

 Stock Yard Company, who built new yards for this purpose, which we opened July 1. 

 In Brooklyn no such favor awaited us, and as the appropriation made by the legisla- 

 ture would not meet the needful outlay and enable us to hold what we had gained 

 until the legislature should again meet, we had to be content with a system which 

 was confessedly ineffective. By the end of August the approaching exhaustiou of the 

 approiiriation comi^elled the dismissal of one-half of our veterinary force, and soon 

 after we had Ix) stop nearly all indemnities and consequently nearly all killing. For- 

 tunately, NeAv York City was now so nearly sound that we could continue tho work 

 there with but one inspector in addition to the one in attendance at the Union Stoci 

 Yard, aud we could stiU kill and indemnify for all sick cattle in the city. Brooklyn, 

 still widely infected, and with authorities still somewhat inimical, could only have 

 her infected herds quarantined, and in her the scourge is but very partially abated. 



In certain outlying districts most gratifying results have been secured. In May we 

 learned that auimals from an infected herd had been turned on the Montauk pasture 

 on the east end of Long Island. The range was visited and eighteen animals idlled 

 to save the 1,100 that remained. Later, two other cases developed in animals that 

 had been in ini'ected herds aud had been overlooked at the first visit. Fortunately, 



