142 



CATTLE PLAGUE. 



look to the housing of his own family, if cholera 

 or other formidable disease were in his neigh- 

 borhood. Thorough cleanliness of the houses, 

 good drainage, freedom from evil smells, nour- 

 ishing diet, with pure air and water, cannot 

 give immunity from the disease, hut they may 

 offer obstacles to its propagation." 



It would have been well to have added to 

 these humane suggestions some stern rebuke, 

 and to have insisted on a compulsory reforma- 

 tion of the cruel and often fatal sufferings in- 

 flicted on the poor animals in their transporta- 

 tion to market, whether by railroad cattle- 

 trains, or by steamers. The mitigation of these 

 evils in Great Britain, as well as in the United 

 States, is imperatively demanded, for the sake 

 of humanity as well as for the prevention of 

 the transmission of disease. 



But the unfortunate difference of opinion 

 among the commissioners in -regard to the 

 movement of cattle gave rise to protracted dis- 

 cussion, and meantime no active measures be- 

 yond those indicated by the Orders in Council 

 were adopted, and the disease continued to 

 spread with fearful rapidity. Some of the 

 counties and larger towns, in a spirit of self- 

 preservation, prohibited the driving of beeves 

 for slaughter, or any other purpose, over their 

 lines, and a strife had begun to ensue between 

 different counties. Up to the 1st of January, 

 1866, 73,549 cases were reported in England 

 alone, and this was known to be far below the 

 true number. Of these, 55,422 were reported as 

 having died of the disease, or been killed be- 

 cause hopelessly infected with it. Good judges 

 believed that the number of cases had consider- 

 ably exceeded 100,000, and that not less than 

 90, 000 4iad fallen victims to it. For the week 

 ending January 6, 1866, the number of new 

 cases was reported as 7,693, an increase of 1,437 

 over the previous week. The efforts made to 

 arrest its progress had thus far been entirely 

 unsuccessful. The number of horned cattle in 

 the United Kingdom was estimated at between 

 seven and eight millions, and their estimated 

 value at about 70,000,000. The prevalence of 

 the rinderpest had already greatly enhanced the 

 price of meats, and the disease having extend- 

 ed its ravages to sheep, goats, and it was said, 

 swine also, there was a sad prospect for animal 

 food among the poorer classes. During the 

 autumn of 1865, after other means of treatment 

 had proved ineffectual, certain homoeopathic 

 physicians recommended the use of homoeo- 

 pathic remedies, and predicted most confidently 

 a favorable result. The trial of these was made 

 with great thoroughness, but they proved ut- 

 terly powerless, and so far as could be ascer- 

 tained did not protract the life of the animal in 

 the least. 



The United States Government very wisely, 

 at the commencement of the first session of the 

 present Congress, prohibited the importation 

 of cattle and sheep from abroad, and also from 

 Canada. As we have a sufficient number of 

 both horned cattle and sheep for our own pur- 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 



poses, and there is no necessity for stpplyfrom 

 abroad, it would be running a useless risk at the 

 present time to hazard the introduction of this 

 terrible murrain into our country, by importing 

 foreign cattle. With proper precautions, there 

 is no necessity that this cattle plague should 

 visit this country. It can be kept away by the 

 maintenance of a proper quarantine, and this 

 should be rigidly enforced. 



CENTEAL AMEEICA. There are now in 

 Central America the following five independent 

 republics : 



I. Guatemala. President, Vincente Cerna, 

 elected on March 3, 1865, for the term of four 

 years. The new ministry, formed in May, 1865, 

 is composed as follows : Justice, Public Worship, 

 and the Interior, Manuel Echeverria ; Exterior, 

 Marquis Pedro de Aycinena; Finances and 

 War, Manuel Cerezo. Minister of the United 

 States near the Government of Guatemala, Fitz 

 Henry Warren (appointed in 1865); Minister 

 of Guatemala at Washington, Ant. Jose Yris- 

 sarri. Area, 44,500 square miles; population, 

 about 1,000,000. The capital, Guatemala, has 

 about 60,000 inhabitants. Receipts of the Gov- 

 ernment, in 1863, $1,352,357; expenditures, 

 $1,344,419. The regular army numbers 3,200 

 men; the militia, 12,978. Value of imports, 

 in 1862, $1,093,044; of exports, $1,586,900. 



II. San Salvador. President (April, 1865, 

 to April, 1869), Fr. Duenas. Ministers: J. 

 Arbizu (Exterior and Public Instruction), J. J. 

 Bonilla (Interior), Cruz Ulloa (Finances and 

 War). Minister of the United States, near the 

 Government of San Salvador, James R. Par- 

 tridge (since 1863). Minister of San Salvador 

 at Washington, A. J. Yrissarri. Area, 7,500 

 square miles; population about 600,000. Cap- 

 ital, San Salvador. The receipts in the budget 

 for 1865 are estimated at 750,000 ; the expen- 

 ditures at $250,000. The army consists of 1,000 

 regular troops, and 5,000 militia. Imports, in 

 1861, were valued at $1,319,727; exports, at 

 $2,340,778. 



III. Honduras. President, Jos6 Maria Me- 

 dina (Feb., 1864, to Feb., 1868). Ministers: 

 Fr. Cruz (Exterior and Interior); Mariano 

 Alvarez (War and Finances). Area, 33,000 

 square miles ; population, about 350,000. Cap- 

 ital, Comayagua, with about 18,000 inhabitants. 

 Receipts of the Government, about $250,000. 

 Minister of the United States at Comayagua, 

 Thomas H. Clay; Minister of Honduras at 

 Washington, Louis Molina (who now repre- 

 sents both Nicaragua and Costa Rica). 



rV. Nicaragua. President (1863 to 1867), 

 Tomas Martinez. The cabinet is composed of 

 the folio wing ~imnisters: Exterior, P. Zeledon; 

 Finances, Dr. J. F. Aguilar ; Instruction, Justice, 

 and Worship, A. Silva ; Interior and War, Don 

 B. Salinas. Area, 39,000 square miles; popu- 

 lation, about 400,000. Public receipts in 1863 

 and 1864, $1,118,241 ; expenditures, $1,109,087; 

 surplus, $9,184. Capital, Managua, with about 

 10,000 inhabitants. Nicaraguan minister at 

 Washington, Louis Molina ; U. S. Minister near 



