No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 505 



Gentlemen : — I learned from a reliable source that there are 

 four cases of anthrax or black leg in the herd of John Wright oi 

 Ashbui'nham. As this is an adjoining town of Fitchburg, and 

 cattle are liable to come here, I thought I would notify you, so 

 you might act accordingly and isolate the herd, etc. 



Dr. Lord's letter was duly acknowledged, and at the same 

 time Mr. J. L. Clark, one of the inspectors of animals in 

 Ashburnham, was written to, to investigate the matter more 

 fully and inform the commission of the result. March 8 the 

 following letter was received from the other inspector : — 



Ashburnham, Mass. 



Dear Sirs : — Mr. J. L. Clark handed me your letter of March 

 1, and I have been over to Mr. John A. Wright's and examined 

 the heifer which died last night. The head and neck were swollen, 

 and the tongue was swollen, and looked as if on the side of the 

 tongue there had been blisters which had burst, discharging their 

 contents and leaving a deep sore. The tongue looks very much 

 inflamed and the cheek under the skin looks black. 



Mr. Wright informs me that this makes four that he has lost, 

 and they all seemed different. One's shoulder was swollen, an- 

 other's hind legs were swollen, and the other was swollen on the 

 back. He told me that he had removed them from the rest of the 

 herd as soon as he found that they were sick. I could not see any 

 symptoms of gloss-anthrax, blain, black tongue or black leg. I do 

 not think the disease is caused by exposure or impoverished keep- 

 ing, for Mr. Wright is a good feeder, and I fail to find any peculiar 

 odor or atmospheric conditions favored by filth or poor ventilation. 

 Mr. Wright keeps his barn clean and in good order. I think it 

 will require your assistance to stop the disease from spi-eading. I 

 asked him to leave the heifer where she now is until you can send 

 a veterinarian to examine her. 



Yours truly, C. W. Whitney, 



Second Inspector. 



After receiving this letter the chairman of the Board ar- 

 rano-ed with Dr. Langdon Frothingham to visit the farm 

 with him March 11. Mr. Whitney met them at the South 

 Ashburnham station with a sleigh, and with one of the 

 selectmen drove to Mr. Wright's. The dead heifer referred 

 to was found in an old hen house, where it had been saved 



