CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 449 



and was approved by Governor Hoyt May 1, 1879. The enactment 

 bears the title of "An act to prevent the spread of contagious or infectious 

 X)leuro-pneumonia among the cattle in this State," and is as follows : 



Section 1. Be it enacted, ^c, That whenever it shall be brought to the notice of the 

 governor of this State that the disease known a,i contagions or infections pleiu-o-pneu- 

 monia exists among the cattle in any of the counties in this State, it shall be his duty 

 to take measures to promptly suppress the disease and prevent it from spreading. 



Sectiok 2. That for such purpose the governor shall have power, and he is hereby 

 authorized, to issue his proclamation, stating that the said infectious or contagious 

 disease exists in any county or counties of the State, and warning alli)ersons to seclude 

 all animals in their possession that are affected with such disease, or have been exposed 

 to the infection or contagion thereof, and ordering all persons to take such precautions 

 against the spreading of such disease as the nature thereof may, in his judgment, 

 render necessary or expedient ; to order that any premises, farm, or farms where such 

 disease exists or has existed be put in quarantine, so that no domestic animal be 

 removed from said places so quarantined, and to prescribe such regulations as he may 

 judge necessary or exiiedient to prevent infection or contagion being communicated in 

 any way from the places so quarantined ; to call upon all sheriffs and dejiuty sheriffs 

 to carry out and enforce the provisions of such proclamations, orders, and regulations, 

 and it shall be the duty of all the sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to obey and observe all 

 orders and instructions which they may receive from the governor in the premises ; to 

 employ such and so many medical and veterinary practitioners and such other persona 

 as he may, from time to time, deem necessary to assist him in performing his duty as 

 set forth in the first section of this act, and to fix their compensation ; to order all or 

 any animals coming into the State to be detained at any place or places for the pur- 

 pose of inspection and examination ; to prescribe regulations for the destruction -of 

 animals affected ^•ith the said infectious or contagious disease, and for the proper dis- 

 position of their hides and carcasses, and of all objects which might convey infection 

 or contagion (proA'ided that no animals shall be destroyed unless first examined by a 

 medical or veterinary practitioner in the employ of the governor aforesaid) ; to prescribe 

 regulations for the disinfection of all premises, buildings, and railway-cars, and of ob- 

 jects from or by which iufecticm or contagion may take place or be conveyed ; to 

 alter and modify, from time to time, as he may deem expedient, the terms of all such 

 proclamations, orders, and regulations, and to cancel or withdraw the same at any 

 time. 



Section 3. That all the necessary expenses incurred under the direction, or by 

 authority, of the governor in carrying out the provisions of this act shall be paid 

 by the treasurer, upon the warrant of the auditor- general, on being certified as cor- 

 rect by the governor : Provided, That animals coming from a neighboring State that 

 liave passed a veterinary examination in said State, and have been quarantined and 

 discharged, shall not be subject to the provisions of this act. 



During the passage of this act the existence of the disease in the 

 State had been denied. Hence, immediately after its approval, his 

 excellency Governor Hoyt appointed a commission to " examine and 

 determine whether infectious or contagious pleuro-pneumonia exists 

 among cattle in any county or counties of this commonwealth, and re- 

 port the same to the governor without unnecessary delay." This com- 

 mission consisted of Hon. Samuel Butler and Hon. H. 0. Greenawalt, on 

 the part of the legislature ; Thomas J. Edge and C. B. Michener, on 

 the part of the board of agricultm-e ; Hon. John C. Morris and George 

 Blight, on the part of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society; and 

 George S. Garret, on the part of the dairymen of Philadelphia and 

 vicinity. At the first meeting of this commission Hon. John 0. Morris 

 was elected president, and Thomas J. Edge secretary. 



At a meeting held in Philadelphia May 16, 1879, a large number of 

 practical dairymen and veterinary surgeons were examined, and their 

 evidence taken down by a stenographic reporter. As a result of this 

 meeting, Messrs. Morris, Butler, and Greenwalt were appointed a com- 

 mittee to report to Governor Hoyt, on behalf of the commissipn, that 

 the disease did exist in at least two counties of the State, and that 

 the decision of the commission was unanimous. 

 29 AG 



