26 REPORT OP THE BUREAU OP ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



attorney -general of the State are interested in the success of the work, 

 and realize its importance; and with their assistance a conviction 

 has recently been obtained which it is believed will have a wholesome 

 effect in preventing further violations, and thus make it unnecessary 

 to continue the prosecutions. 



There have been, in 1888, two outbreaks of pleuro-pneumonia in other 

 counties, which were traced to cattle taken there from Baltimore, 

 but in each case the extermination of the disease was promptly secured. 

 At present all herds in the State known to be diseased have been slaugh- 

 tered, and as but very few new cases have developed during the last 

 sixty days it is believed that the plague is practically eradicated. It 

 will fte necessary to continue the supervision for a number of months 

 after the last case has been disposed of before we can conclude that 

 the last traces of the contagion have been destroyed. It so frequently 

 happens that in some obscure country place a person will conceal the 

 disease for months before it is discovered that a long period of watch- 

 ing is required to insure absolute safety. 



From January 1 to November 30, 1888, there were inspected in 

 Maryland 9,809 herds, containing 60,312 head of cattle. Of this num- 

 ber 5,055 were re-examined by deputies in addition to the professional 

 inspections, and 17,749 were tagged with numbers and registered 

 upon the books of the Bureau. 



There were 74 new herds found affected with pleuro-pneumonia 

 during the year, and these herds contained 1,189 animals, 124 of 

 which were pronounced diseased when the inspection was made. 

 There were purchased for slaughter during the same time 459 affected 

 cattle at a cost of $12,330.13, an average of $26. 87 per head; also 1,036 

 exposed cattle at a cost of $27,087.81, an average of $26.15 per head. 



The high average cost of affected cattle is due to the fact that many 

 of them were but slightly affected, or had so far recovered from the 

 disease that they were as useful to the owner for the production of 

 milk as before the attack. It is also to be remembered that the owner 

 received for the exposed but still healthy animals the sum which was 

 paid by the butcher for the carcasses in addition to the sum given 

 above as paid by the Bureau. 



It has been found necessary to disinfect 145 stables, stock-yards, 

 or other premises during the year, and also to make post-mortem ex- 

 aminations upon the carcasses of 5,820 bovine animals, of which 507 

 were found diseased with pleuro-pneumonia. 



The total expenses in Maryland from January 1 to November 30, 

 1888, have been $99,627.83, of which $39,417.94 was paid for cattle 

 purchased for slaughter as either diseased or exposed. 



WORK IN VIRGINIA. 



A thorough inspection was made during the year 1887 in those 

 parts of Virginia where pleuro-pneumonia had been reported in past 

 years. The inspections covered the careful examination of 3,753 

 head of cattle contained in 353 different herds. The plague was not 

 discovered until December, when it was found to have been recently 

 introduced into a large herd at Hampton. The contagion only spread 

 to a very few animals outside of this herd which had come in con- 

 tact with it. The infected animals were at once isolated and slaugh- 

 tered as rapidly as possible. No cases of disease have since appeared 

 there, and we may therefore conclude that it has been_ eradicated, 

 y The total number of affected cattle purchased in "V irginia was 45, 



