No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 455 



that, of the sixty-one towns reporting, thirty-one were among 

 those reporting last year. 



Three quite pronounced outbreaks of the disease have been 

 encountered, one in Worcester, one in Fall Riv.er and one in 

 Lynn ; but it is now believed that these outbreaks have been 

 successfully suppressed. 



The, commission has good reason for believing that much of 

 the difficulty surrounding any attempt at the suppression of 

 glanders and farcy is in the failure upon the part of some 

 of those who make a business of treating sick horses, and who 

 call themselves veterinarians, to report the cases that come to 

 their knowledge. It is certainly true that practically no infor- 

 mation of this kind is received from this source by the com- 

 mission. Veterinary practitioners should be more anxious 

 and more able than any other class of our community to be 

 active in helping to suppress a disease which is so destructive 

 to horses and so dangerous to mankind. 



Otherwise, the commission has had the hearty co-opera- 

 tion of the community, the local boards of health and the police 

 departments of the several cities and towns. 



It is possible that, if it is more widely understood that sec- 

 tions 29 and 35 of chapter 491 of the Acts of 1894 refer to 

 glanders and farcy as well as to some other contagious diseases 

 of animals, the law will be more fully complied with. The 

 sections are as follows : — 



Section 29 of the Acts of 1894 provides that : — 



Every person who has knowledge of or good reason to suspect the 

 existence of any contagious disease among any species of domestic 

 animals within the limits of this Commonwealth, or that any domestic 

 animal is affected with any such contagious disease, whether such 

 knowledge is obtained by personal examination or otherwise, shall 

 immediately give written notice thereof to the board of health of the 

 city or town where such diseased animal or animals are kept, and for 

 failure so to do shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hun- 

 dred dollars or by imprisonment in jail not exceeding one year. 



Section 35 of this same act provides : — 



Every person who kills or causes to be killed, with the consent of 

 the owner or person in possession thereof, any animal under suspicion 



