456 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA— EXTENT OF 

 ITS PREVALENCE. 



REPORT OF DR. CHARLES P. LYMAN. 



Hon. Willi a:m G. LeDuc, 



Commissioner of Agriculture : 



Sir : In compliance with the instructions contained in your letter of 

 appointment, dated January 29, 1880, 1 left Washington on the 29th day 

 of January last, for New York City, where I proposed to commence an 

 investigation for the purpose, if possible, of determining the character 

 and extent of the j^revalence of the disease known as contagious pleuro- 

 pneumonia or lung plague of cattle. On my arrival in New York I 

 visited Dr. Liautard, from whom I learned that the disease still pre- 

 vailed to some extent in Eastern New York and on Long Island, and 

 that there was a reported outbreak at Haverhill, N. H. The New Hamp- 

 shire State commissioner had pronounced this outbreak as of a sporadic 

 character, yet the circumstances attending it were of a suspicious nature, 

 at least sufficiently so as to throw doubt on the decision arrived at by the 

 State commission, and I regarded a further investigation necessary in 

 order to positively determine the matter. While in New York I gained 

 some valuable inftjrmation in regard to the disease in the adjoining State 

 of New Jersey, which I propose to make use of on my return to that 

 State. 



I arrived in Boston on the 3d day of February, where I met Dr. Thayer, 

 a member of the Massachusetts commission for the suppression of con- 

 tagious diseases of cattle. He had made some investigations of the New 

 Hampshire outbreak, and gave it as his opinion that the disease pre- 

 vailing there was not contagious. However, he did not regard Ids post- 

 mortem examinations as satisfactory, as he was in no case furnished with 

 whole lungs. I also saw Dr. Billings here, who informed me that he had 

 examined i»ortions of diseased lungs of some of the affected cattle at 

 Haverhill, N, H., and from the appearances he did not regard the dis- 

 ease as that of contagious pleui-o-pneumonia. He did not regard his 

 examination as satisfactory, however. • 



I left Boston on the 5tli day of February for Concord, N. H., for the 

 purpose of seeing Dr. A. H. Crosby, chairman of the State commission. 

 He regarded the Haverhill outbreak as of a suspicious character, and 

 advised me to visit that x>lace at once and thoroughly examine the 

 affected herd. He gave me an order for the slaugbter of such animals 

 as I might deem necessary for examination, and also a letter to the 

 chairman of the board of selectmen for the town. 



I arrived in Haverhill on the morning of the 6th, and in company with 

 •Mr. Parker at once proceeded to the farm of Mr. Merrill, the owner of 

 the suspected herd. I found the animals suffering in various degrees 

 from respiratory troubles. As the herd was supposed to have been in- 

 fected by a drove of cattle from Canada, I asked Mr. M. when this drove 

 stopped with him. He answered — 



On the nth day of September: tht^ first case of sickness occurred about October 2 

 the animal died on the 2d of November, having been aick only about one -week. 



