454 ERPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTUEE. 



priaterl for the purpose of eradicating the disease. At first .he was obliged to pay 

 'extravagant ■jjrices for some of the diseased animals in order to satisfy the owners. 

 Now he pays but $5 per he^d for animals sufl'eriug with the disease. 



The following is an extract from Professor Michener's letter, alluded 

 to by Professor Gadsden : 



Your letter malting inquiry in regard to the herd of Mr. C. Krauss, of Lehigh 

 County, is at hand. Tliis herd is affected by contagious pleuro-pntiumouia beyond 

 the po&dibility of a doubt, and it is equally as certain that the disease was brought 

 here' by a beifer that came from Baltimore through the Philadelphia cattle-yard. Mr. 

 Jonas Grabcr, who sold the heifer to Mr. Krauss, has traced her back as far as Balti- 

 more, and has kindly furnished me with the names of all the parties to the transac- 

 tion. Krauss bought the heifer September 11. Within from two to three weeks his 

 attention was attracted to her by her making a grunting noise. She was being fed 

 for a fanuly beef, and was stabled and pastured with the milch cows. She gradually 

 pined away and died in about four weeks. She was examined, and one lung was 

 fouud swollen solid and adhering to the ribs. A few days after she died other animals 

 commenced to show symptoms, and the local cow doctors suspected pleuro-pneumo- 

 nia. They had never had the disease in that locality. Pleading ignorance of the law 

 and of parties intrusted with its execution, the disease was allowed to have its own 

 •way until December 13, when its exiatence was made known to the governor's special 

 agent. Edge. Under his orders I visited the herd forthwith, found that' two animals 

 had already died, and that twelve more were sick. We killed ten of these a,nd made 

 post-mortem examinations of eight. We found thera badly affected; aU had the 

 characteristic swollen, hard, marbled appearance of lung, and the adhesion that be- 

 longs only to contagious pleviro-pneumonia. The diseased lungs weighed from 25 to 

 45 pounds, and the healthy ones from 3i to 4-J pounds. We have since killed one 

 more, making thirteen in all which have been lost out of this herd. V/e have reason 

 to hope tliat the disease is now under control, although ten more are slightly affected 

 and twenty others have been somewhat exposed to the disease, yet still remain com- 

 paratively healthy. No pains have been spared to carefully isolate the sick from the 

 well. Disinfectants have been liberally used and a rigid quarantine enforced. The 

 disease has not spread from the Krauss farm, the location of buildings and BUixound- 

 ings all tending to prevent this. 



In all of the seven herds that I have heretofore managed under direction of Mr. 

 Edge, we have been eminently successful in stamping out the disease, and the owners 

 are all well satisfied with the result of our management. Concert of action on the 

 part of the States, with the hearty co-ojjeration of the national government, will ef- 

 fectually rid the country (if not too long delayed) of this most insidious and dangerous 

 enemy to our vast cattle interests. I have lost all patience with those who advocate 

 other means than those now being employed by our commonwealth for the eradica- 

 tion of tbe disease. When men talk of the disease being curable, and not even a 

 contagious malady, they only show their ignorance. The disease entirely destroys 

 the functions of lung tissue, and can only bo cured by the removal of diseased organs 

 and the insertion or substitution of new ones — a feat the best surgeon would hardly 

 undertake to perform. ' 



EEPRESSI7E MEASUIIES ADOPTED IN NEW JERSEY. 



In compliance witli the provisions of an act entitled "An act to pre- 

 vent the spread of contagious or infectious pleuro-pneumonia among 

 cattle," passed by the legislature of ^New Jersey during the session (3 

 1878-'79, Governor McClellan appointed General W. H. Sterling as the 

 head of a commission to form rules and regulations for the proper en- 

 forcement of the law. He commenced operations at Trenton, on March 

 15, 1879 ; and in order to determine the extent and location of the dis- 

 ease, he caused circular-letters to be addressed to the assessors of eaioh 

 township, to postmasters, farmers, and other prominent gentlemen 

 throughout the State, requesting such information as they could give as 

 to t])e existence and extent of the malady in their respective and more 

 imm 3diate localities. From the answers returned, he found that the dis- 

 ease was prevailing to a considerable extent in various sections of the 

 State, and that there was, therefore, necessity for immediate and de- 

 cisivo a^itioDj if the plague was to be arresteri. 



