450 



REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Under authority of the act before (iiioted, and based upon the report 

 of the commission, his excellency Governor Hoyt appointed a special 

 agent to take charge of the matter, to whom he issued the following 

 commission : 



It having bceu ascertained that an Li\fectio5is and contagions disease oi neat cattle, 

 known as pleuro-pucumouia, has been brought into and exists iji certain counties of 

 this Stale, I hereby a[)point you as my assistant to carry out the provisions of the 

 acts of 18(56 and 1879, for the prevention of the spread of tills disease. As such assist- 

 ant yon are hereby authoriKed — 



To prohibit the movement of cattle within the iiiifected distiicts, except on license 

 from yourself, after skilled veterinary examination under your dii-ection. 



To order all owners of cattle, their agents, employ6s, or servants, and all veterinary 

 Burgeons, to report forthwith to you all cases of diseases by tbem suspected to be con- 

 tagious ; and when such notification is received you are directed to have the case 

 examined, and to cause such animals as are found to be infected with said disCc'ise to 

 be quarantined, as also all cattle which haA^e been exposed to Iho infection or conta- 

 gion of said disease, or are located in any infected district; but you may, in your dis- 

 cretion, permit such animals to be slaughtered on the premises and the carcasses to 

 be disjiosod of as meat if, upon examination, they shall be found fit for such use. 



You may prohibit and prevent all persons not emjdoyed in the care of cattle therein 

 kept from entering any infected premises. You may likewise jtreveut all persons so em- 

 ployed in the cars of animals irom going into stables, yards, or premises where cattle 

 are kej)t, other than those in which they arc employed. You may cause all clothing 

 of persons engaged in the care, slaughtering, or rendering of diseased or exposed 

 animals, or in any employment which brings them in contact with such diseased 

 animals, to bo disinfected before they leave the premises where such animals are 

 kept. You may prevent the mn,nurc, forage, and litter upon infected premises from 

 being removed thereirom ; and yon may cause such disposition to he made thereof as 

 will, in your judgment, best preA'ont the spread of the disease. You may cause the 

 buildings, yards, and premises in which the disease exists, or has existed, to be thor- 

 oughly disinfected. 



You are further directed, whenever the slaughter of diseased animals is found nec- 

 essary, to certify the value of the animal or animals so slaughtered, at the time of 

 slaughter, taking into account their condition and circumstances, and to deliver to 

 their owner or owners, Avhen requested, a duplicate of such cei"tificate. Whenever 

 any owner of such cattle, or his agent or servant, has willfully or knowingly with- 

 held, or allowed to be withheld, notice of the existence of said disease upon his 

 premiseB, or among his cattle, you will not make such certificate. 



You are also directed to take such measures as you may deem necessary to disinfect 

 all cars or vehicles or movable articles by which contagion is likely to be transmitted. 

 You Avill also take such measures as shall insure the ieg''t 'y of cattle introduced into 

 any premises on which said disease has existed, and to ] .4) such cattle under super- 

 vision for a period of tlu'ee months after the removal 01 the diseased animal and the 

 subsequent disinfection of said premises. 



You are further authorized and empowered to incur such expenses in carrying out 

 the provisions of the foregoing orders as may, in your Judgment appear necessary, 

 and see to it that all bills for such expenses be transmitted to this department only 

 through yourself, after you have apjiroved the same in writing. 



The agent appointed by the governor at once Issued the following 

 notice : 



To all owners of catlle, their agents, servants, or employe's: to all common carriers hy land 

 or water; to all veterinary surgeons ; and to all others whom it may concern: 



His excellency Governor Hoyt having decided to co-operate with the executive 

 officers of the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey in a 

 united elibrt to eradicate the disease known as pleuro-pncumonia fi'om the herds of 

 this State, it becomes my duty, under the foregoing commission, to request that you 

 will promptly report to me all cases among neat cattle by you suspected to bo conta- 

 gious or infectious. Without your co-operation and assistance this attempt can only 

 result in partial success ; with it the result can sc.ircely be doubtful, and the worlc 

 thus far accomplished gives us assurance of good results. 



His excclle«cy is anxious that all ownere of cattle and others interested should be 

 fully imiitossed with the belief that this commission, as well as the laws ol" 1806 and 

 IBfO, ibr tiie prevention of the spread of the disease, are in their interest as well aa 

 that of tlie Stnto. It is .also the wish of his excellency that v.-hile the provisions of 

 those laws are luUy enforced iiud made most (iifective, and their purposes promptly 

 and fully accomplished, it shall at the same time be so managed as to cause the least 



