SECRETARY'S REPORT. 13 



catcd in the diagram and was only stopped by the destruction 

 of ninety-three head of cattle at an expense of 83,000 to the 

 State and a loss of as much more to individuals. 



In Jnnc, 18G1, Mr. J. F. Eaton, the same whose cattle trade 

 involved the history just recited, ])urchascd another pair of 

 oxen and took them to his farm where he kept them as far as 

 possible from the rest of his herd and from contact with his 

 sick cows. After using them to get in his hay he sold them 

 in August to James Houghton, of Dorchester. In October 

 one of Mr. Houghton's cows was taken sick, and one day on 

 driving her out to take the air she fell dead. Several others 

 were taken sick from time to time. One cow was driven from 

 bis. place early in December to his brother's, William A. 

 Houghton, of Milton. There she remained three weeks. In 

 about two months Mr. William A. Houghton's herd became 

 sick, several died and the rest were killed January 9. Mr. 

 James Houghton sold a cow to E. Welch, of South Boston. 

 In about a month she was taken sick and in the following 

 April Mr. Welch's wiiole herd perished and nine out of the 

 fourteen were found diseased with the peculiar lung disease 

 called pleuro-pneumonia. In January Mr. Houghton sent the 

 oxen and some cows to Brighton, but not getting the price he 

 desired he transferred them to his farm in Grafton. On the 

 19th of March two of the cows at Grafton were found sick 

 in the acute stages of the disease and one other in which the 

 disease had evidently existed for months. 



The nine cattle at this place were slaughtered on the same 

 day, and among the rest the yoke of oxen sold by J. F. Eaton 

 to James Houghton. One of these oxen was found^o have no 

 sign of disease in the lungs, and the other had only a small 

 cyst not larger than a lien's egg, and was never previously 

 suspected of being other than perfectly healthy. 



It will be seen from the foregoing, that two animals, the 

 Holbrook cow sold to Barnes, and the Eaton ox sold to James 

 Houghton, neither of which were even suspected of being dis- 

 eased, have brought thousands of dollars' expense upon the 

 cowBiunity and much loss and suffering to individuals, who in 

 somminstances have lost valuable milk routes, and in others the 

 very means of procuring present subsistence. In view of these 

 facts, the commissioners suggest whether there is any safety in 



