CONTAGIOUS LUNG FEVER OF CATTLE. 221 



E. L. England, Halifax Coimty, Virginia, writes that the cattle in 

 tliat county are afltected with a contagious distemper which is sux)i)osed 

 to be pleuro-pneumonia. 



C. Gingrich, Eeistertown, Baltimore County, Maryland, says : 



Lung fever (pleiiro-pneumonia) lias prevailed among cattle in the vicinity of Balti- 

 more for the past twelve or fifteen years, and the losses from the same have been quite 

 heavy. 



A repoii; from WiUiam S. Vansant, veterinary surgeon, contained in 

 the report of the New Jersey State board of agriculture for 1876, shows 

 that nineteen tlifferent herds of cattle suffered from this disease in Biu'- 

 lingtou County of that State during the year above named. It would 

 seem that while the disease has been almost constantly present in New 

 Jersey for many years past, no organized effort on the part of the State 

 has been made for its suppression and extirpation. 



With no means at my command for the suppression of the malady, 

 in November last I caused an examination to be made of some of the 

 afflicted cattle in the vicinity of Alexandria, Va. The investigation was 

 conducted by Dr. Alban S. Payne, of Fauquier County, Virginia, who, 

 as will be seen by his report below, pronounced the disease a contagious 

 type of iileiu^o-pneumonia. The results of his investigation are thus 

 given in the following brief extract from his report : 



I visited Mr. Eoberts's mill, one mile south of the city of Alexandria, Va., with as 

 little delay, under existing circumstances, as possible. I found Mr. Roberts, in con- 

 nection with his other business operations, carrying on a dairy. On his farm were 

 sixty-two milch cows, and of these forty have had pleuro-pneumonia. Twenty-two 

 have not as yet taken the disease. I also found almost in the heart of Alexandria City 

 two cows sick with the disease. One of these cows belonged to Mr. Townsend Bag- 

 gott and the other to Colonel Suttle. I also examined about the suburbs of Washing- 

 ton City some sick cows. All the cases I saw were, without doubt, cases of pleuro- 

 pneumonia of the non-malignant variety. 



Knowing the insidious and destructive character of this disease, and 

 that it was liable to assume a contagious form and cause the destruction 

 of millions of dollars' worth of property, and interrupt and perhaps 

 destroy one of our greatest commercial interests and sources of income, 

 I called the attention of Congress to the existence of this fatal malady 

 in my i^reliminary report, bearing date of November last, and asked the 

 immediate intervention of the government by the enactment of measures 

 for its suppression and extirpation. The following is a brief extract 

 from this rei^ort: 



One of the most dreaded contagious diseases known among cattle is that of pleuro- 

 pneumonia, or lung fever. It was brought to this country as early as the year 1843, 

 and has since prevailed to a greater or less extent in several of the Eastern and a few 

 of the Southern States. It made its apiiearance about a century ago in Central Eu- 

 rope, and has since spread to most European countries. With the exception of rinder- 

 pest, it is the most di-eaded and destructive disease known among cattle. Unlike Texas 

 cattle fever, which is controlled in our northern latij-udcs by the appearance of frost, 

 this disease " knows no limitatiou by winter or summer, cold or heat, rain or di'ought, 

 high or low latitude." It is the most insidious of all plagues, for the ])oison may be 

 retained in the system for a |)criod of one or two months, and even for a longer period, 

 in a latent form, and the infected animal in the mean time may be transjiorted from 

 oHf! end of the continent to the other in ajjparont good health, yet all the while carry- 

 ing and scattering the seeds of tills dreaded pestilence. 



Since the appearance of this aflection on our shores it has prevailed at different times 

 in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Dela- 

 ware, Virginia, and in the District of Cohimbia. It has recently shown itself at two 

 points in Virginia (Alexandria and Lynchburg), Avhere it was recently iirevailing in a 

 virulent fonu. 



At ))resent the disease seems to bo circumscribed by narrow limits, and could bo ex- 

 lirxiated with but little cost in comparison with the sum that would be required should 

 the plague be communicated to the countless herds west of the Alleghany Mountains, 



