1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 335 



official of such State, that their cows are free from tuberculosis ; 

 and that such certificate should be required to be renewed semi- 

 annually, under penalties for failure. 



Resolved^ That, where there is no suitable legislation on the 

 subject in any State, the Legislature of such State should at once 

 pass ample and sufficient laws for the suppression of the same, 

 and place the execution of such laws in the hands of officers 

 empowered with authority to suppress said disease ; and that 

 suitable a[)propriations should be made to carry out the provisions 

 of such laws. 



Resolved^ That, in States where suitable laws for the suppression 

 of said disease have been heretofore enacted, it is the sense of 

 this body that the properly constituted authorities of such States 

 should proceed at once to inaugurate the work of suppressing and 

 extirpating said disease in such States. 



The following communication upon the subject of tuber- 

 culosis was received by the Secretary, to be read at the 

 annual meeting of the Board : — 



Legation of the United States, 

 Lisbon-, Jan. 7, 1890. 



Dear Sir : — In the " Boston Journal " of the ■20th of December 



last I find the following telegram : — 



Springfield, III., December 19. — Ten States were represented 

 yesterday at the National Conference of Live Stock Commissioners, 

 called for the purpose of conferring upon the subject of unilorm recom- 

 mendation for the suppression of contagious diseases among domestic 

 animals. A veiy long communication was presented by Prof. James 

 Law of Coi-nell University, upon the eommunicability of tuberculosis to 

 man by domestic animals. It was somewhat startling in its tone, but 

 entirely theoretical. It assumed the matter to be jDositively settled. Dr. 

 John H. Rauch of the State Board of Health said that the theory is by 

 no means sufficiently settled to warrant legislation, although it is attract- 

 ing very general attention in England, France and Germany. 



This discussion, which took place in one of the great cattle- 

 growing sections of the United States, the theoretical views pre- 

 sented by Mr. Law, and tlie conservative suggestion of Dr. Rauch, 

 have attracted my attention, as they have undoubtedly that of 

 every one interested in the cattle industry of our country, and its 

 connection with the health of the community. The statements 

 made with regard to tlie existence of tubei'culosis, and the danger 

 of its being imparted to the human family by the products of the 

 stall and the dairy, have in a few isolated instances produced such 

 au impression on the minds of some public-spirited farmers that 



