10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to state my reasons for undertaking the experiments. These 

 reasons were briefly as follows : — 



1. Pleuro-pneumonia is now existing in Waltham. 



2. It is admitted, by believers in its contagiousness, that 

 there are two forms of the disease, one contagious, and the 

 other non-contagious, the symptoms and anatomical appear- 

 ances of which are similar, and which cannot be distinguished 

 otherwise than by the fact of transmission. Consequently each 

 outbreak of the disease requires examination. 



3. Experiments upon the contagious, epidemic or local char- 

 acter of disease can only be undertaken at a distance from the 

 place where the disease already exists. Just as the contagious- 

 ness or non-contagiousness of intermittent fever (chills and 

 fever) could only be determined by experiments out of the 

 place where it exists. 



4. No experiments are known to have been made upon the 

 disease now existing. 



April 29. — I was notified that a Resolve had received the 

 signature of the governor, granting me " leave to make experi- 

 ments on pleuro-pneumonia among cattle, so far as relates to 

 the laws of transmission, at his own expense," and directing the 

 Cattle Commissioners " to place at his disposal cattle belonging 

 to the Commonwealth, for this purpose." 



May 12. — In accordance with this resolve, the Cattle Commis- 

 sioners allowed me to take from a herd in Lexington a cow 

 which had been sick but a few days, and which they believed to 

 be in a good condition to transmit the disease. The cow was 

 carried to Cambridge in a covered wagon, arriving soon after 

 daylight, to avoid possibility of communicating infection on the 

 road. 



May 15. — Three cows were received from a herd in Waltham. 

 One of them had been ill four days. The other two were never 

 known to have been ill, although they had been stalled jn a 

 barn with cattle ill with pleuro-pneumonia. They were sup- 

 posed to be perfectly healthy. The sick cow was carried in a 

 wagon ; the others were driven, and arrived early in the 

 morning. 



May 22. — A cow and heifer were received from Maine, from 

 a region in which pleuro-pneumonia is not known to have 

 existed, and were brought by water to Boston. 



