A NATIONAL VETERINARY POLICE SYSTEM. 371 



on the part of the dealer to traffic in unhealthy animals is prevented. 



This course proves a positive protection to the purchaser, as 

 well as requiring the dealer to traffic only in healthy stock and 

 secure him a good reputation, however much he may desire other- 

 wise. All cattle leaving infected places must be accompanied by 

 a permit which admits of their being taken only to places of 

 slaughter, where, under the supervision of an inspector, they are 

 destroyed, and a proper disposition made of the carcasses. 



He inspection. — "When cattle have assumed a risk, but not act- 

 ually presenting symptoms of the malady, and while awaiting its 

 incubation, it has always been the custom, in this as well as in 

 European countries, to practice occision; but, believing that pro- 

 ceeding to be an expensive experiment, we have adopted the rule 

 of allowing the animals to remain in provisional quarantine ; and 

 from time to time making reinspections, by which means we are 

 able to keep the stable under surveillance during the incubative 

 period, when, if the disease does not appear, the quarantine is raised 

 and the stock declared healthy. This manner of proceeding being 

 a departure from the rule adopted in European countries, is looked 

 upon with disfavor by foreign veterinarians, notwithstanding expe- 

 rience has taught us that it has been productive of a great saving to 

 this State. Several stables, containing a number of cattle, were 

 during the spring months quarantined in consequence of finding 

 one or more diseased animals in them, which were removed and de- 

 stroyed, and the stables subjected to an occasional reinspection until 

 six months had elapsed, when, no further disease being manifest, 

 the quarantine was raised and the premises declared free from all 

 contagious disease. After carefully computing the cost of conduct- 

 ing these reinspections, and comparing it with the necessary expense 

 following the destruction of the cattle, there is a handsome balance 

 in favor of the former method. 



Mistaken Theories. — Nine months' constant intercourse with 

 "epizootic contagious pleuro-pneumonia" has established the fact 

 that many erroneous ideas have been allowed to creep into the 

 minds of the people in regard to the nature, character, means of 

 prevention, etc., of the malady, and foremost among them is inocu- 

 lation. 



A so-called preventive means of avoiding the spread of the mal- 

 ady is practiced with varying success. The following are the views 

 of two eminent authorities on the subject. 



Professor Liautard, Dean of the American Veterinary College, 

 says : 



