222 CONTAGIOUS LUNG FEVER OF CATTLE. 



This disease is of such a destructive nature as to have called forth for its immediate 

 extii'patiou the assistance of every Eui'opean government in which it has appeared, 

 many of them having found it necessary to expend millions of dollars in its suppression. 

 The interests iuA'olved in this case are of so vast a character and of such overshad- 

 owing importance, both to the fanning and commercial interests of the country, as to 

 require the active intervention of the Federal Government for their protection, and 

 for this reason the considerate attention of Congress is respectfully asked to this im- 

 portant matter. 



Prof. F. S. Billings, V. S., temporarily residing in Germany, writes 

 under recent date as follows : 



Berlin, January 16, 1879, 

 14 Louisen Street. 



My Deak Sir : I intended in my last to have mentioned some ideas for your consid- 

 eration upon the so-called contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle in the United States. 

 I have given the subject a long-continued consideration, and it seems to nje the views 

 which now appear conformable to oxa case will find their ajjproval with you. The 

 disease is one which is rather a new thing to us, aud while we find cases coming to 

 pass in many sections, still we cannot say it has acquii'ed any devastating extension. 

 I truly believe that by using what means we have at command, and by fixing two or 

 at the most three points by which cattle can be imported from Canada, aud by iirrther- 

 more exacting that such cattle be accompanied by attested health certiiicates of com- 

 petent men, and furthermore that all such cattle, except when destined for immediate 

 slaughter, be compelled to undergo twenty days of quarantine at point of entry when 

 unaccomijanied by such certiiicates, like rules applied to sea-ports— if we can make 

 and enforce such regulations, then in one year at the most we can stamp the disease 

 out of the United States and keep it out. For us the inoculation should be absolutely 

 forbidden and severely punished. It is only of value in localities where the disease 

 has become almost domesticated, and where of the two evils the lesser must be chosen, 

 and that is, as is being attempted in Saxony, to inoculate every animal, and produce 

 as soon as possible the artificial disease ; all newly-introduced animals to bo by law at 

 once inoculated. 



This renders the losses less severe to such a commuuity, probably not over 25 to 30 

 percent., if as much; statistics as yet are unreliable. But it is self-evident this is 

 also the way by which the disease is rendered a constancy — it becomes domiciled, a 

 thing we do not desire. Hence I recommend to your consideration the absolute killing 

 of every infected and exposed animal, or, perhaps, utter quarantining — isolation of 

 the latter under rigid inspection. The slaughtered animals to be paid ior at full mar- 

 ket price, real, not fancy, by the respective State governments, or, better, by the gen- 

 eral government ; for, if we are to have a general law, then the general government 

 must take care of it. I earnestly recommend your bringing this to the attention of 

 Congress, and you yourself must see the recommendation is logical and true to the 

 country's interest. The first cost might be a httle startling, but the final results 

 equally fortunate. The rinderpest was at last reports limited "and decreasing. 

 Your obedient servant, 



F. S. BILLINGS. 



To Hon. Wm. G. Le Due, 



Commissioner of Agriculture, WasTiington, D. C. 



Professor Gadsden, of Philadelphia, who recently made an examina- 

 tion of infected and diseased cattle on Long Island, writes as follows: 



134 North Tenth Street, 

 Philadclplda, Jaimarij 29, 1S79. 



Sir : I consider it my duty to report to you that the contagious disease known as 

 "pleuro-pneumonia" exists to a ftightful extent among the cows near Brooklyn, Long 

 Island. On the retui'n of Professor McEachran, the cattle-inspector of Canada, from 

 Washington, he asked me to accomiiany him to Ncav York State, and find out for our- 

 selves if the report was true that acontagioiis disease existed. We fouud it too true, 

 as at a distillery at Williamsburg we found a large byre, or cow-house, containing 

 about eight hundred cf)ws, with very many of them in the last stages of "contagious 

 pleui'o-pueumoma." Others had this disease in a milder form. The place was very 

 dirty, the coavs very much crowded, ceiling low, aud everything favorable for the rapid 

 spread of this disease. 



Tbe cows l)eloiig to a number of milkmen, who keep them there very cheap on hot 

 swill (from the distillery) and hay, which increases the milk very much. This place 

 is a regular pest-house for the disease. We were informed, on good authority, that 

 just before the cows die they are killed and dressed, then sent into the New York 

 market as beef, Avhere wo are told that they bring a good price because they are ten- 

 der and not too fat. Others are sold, when the milli dries up, to farmers on Long Island. 



