74 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 



calities farther nortli. The iiitrod action of this disease is not remem 

 bered by the oldest iuliabitfiuts, but so far back as the memory- of man 

 goes the present couditious have prevailed. 



Cumberland County does not appear (|uite so thorouohly infected. 

 At Trenton Mills and McRea's there is no doubt of the permanent infec- 

 tion, but the southern extremity of the county still seems to be free from 

 it. In the counties along the river it is very plain that the sections 

 immediately adjacent to the river have been longer infected and tha 

 the disease here is more generally diffused and more virulent than in 

 the same counties at a greater distance from the water. And accord 

 iuglj- as we attempt to investigate the condition of other sections we 

 encounter the difflculty of tinding a smaller numberof cases and a greater 

 uncertainty in the minds of the inhabitants as to whether the native 

 pastures really hold the infection from yearto year, or whether each out- 

 break is the result of a fresh importation. 



In Buckingham County our reports confirm the statements that were 

 made last year. The infection extends ui> the south bank of the James 

 River to a point slightly beyond the confluence of the James and Slate 

 Rivers. From here the boundary line of the infected district passes up 

 along the west bank of the Slate to Diana Mills; then the direction is a 

 southeastern one to the vicinity of ( rravel Hill, and to McRea's, in Cum- 

 berland County. 



In Amelia and Xottoway Counties it has been impossible to trace any 

 line or even to demonstrate the complete infection of the territory. It 

 is generally admitted that twenty years ago and longer tliere was a 

 complete infection of this district, but of late years there has been much 

 less disease and it has become possible to bring in cattle from north and 

 west with safety. In these counties there are no fences, and each man 

 must necessarily keep his cattle upon his own pastures ; as a conse- 

 quence there is none of the indiscriminate mixing of cattle which used 

 to occur, and the chances of contagion are greatly lessened. 



While there have been considerable losses in Prince Edward County 

 there is little evidence of permanent infection, except, perhaps, in the 

 extreme eastern part. Most of the cases seem to have been the result 

 of i^asturing on commons that had been frequented by animals from 

 Lunenburg County. 



In Lunenburg there is no doubt of permanent infection. It is dan- 

 gerous to bring cattle from west or north into this county, and, on the 

 other hand, cattle from this county have frequently spread disease when 

 <lriven toward the west or north. 



In Charlotte County the boundary of infection becomes plainer and 

 follows very ne irly the linc^ of the Richmond and Danville Railroad in 

 its whole course across the county. 



From the point where this railroad crosses the Staunton River to the 

 North Carolina boundary, the line of infection was delinitely located in 

 my last year's report. The accompanying map delineates the portion 



