322 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



a view to ascertain what authority, if any, he would have 

 if some more serious disease appeared among the live stock 

 of the State Avhich was not specified as a contagious disease 

 in section 28 of chapter 90 of the Revised Laws. 



Boston, Mass., July 19, 1904. 

 Hon. Herbert Parker, Attorney-Oeneral, Stale House, Boston. 



SiE: — Chapter 90 of the Revised Laws refers to the conta- 

 gious diseases of animals; section 28 specifies what contagious 

 diseases are recognized within the meaning of this act; section 

 4 of chapter 90 of the Revised Laws, as amended hy section 3 

 of chapter 116 of the Acts of 1902, provides that the Chief of 

 the Cattle Bureau, with the approval of the Governor and 

 Council, may from time to time make orders and regulations 

 relative to the prevention, suppression and extirpation of con- 

 tagious diseases of domestic animals. 



I would be very much obliged to you if you would inform 

 me how much power the Chief of the Cattle Bureau has to 

 issue rules and regulations for the prevention, suppression, 

 extirpation, etc., of a contagious disease not recognized as 

 such by the act relating to contagious animal diseases. 



For example, at the present time a disease of the eye has 

 appeared among cattle in the town of Westborough, apparently 

 of a contagious character, spoken of by some writers upon 

 veterinary matters as enzootic oijlithalmia, and by others as 

 confagioiis keratitis. While it does not seem to be dangerous 

 to cattle or a menace to the health of the human family, never- 

 theless, it may prove very troublesome to some cattle owners, 

 and occasionally deprive an animal of the sight of one or both 

 eyes. I am, therefore, anxious to know what authority I have, 

 if any, for quarantining, isolating and forbidding the sale of 

 animals from herds where the disease exists, until the danger 

 of conveying it is over. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



Austin Peters, 



Chief of Cattle Bureati. 



The following reply was received : — 



Boston, Oct. 10, 1904. 

 Austin Peters, Esq., Chief of the Cattle Bureau. 



Dear Sir: — Your letter of July 19 calls for my opinion 

 upon the question whether a disease of the eye, known as enzo- 

 otic 02)lithalmia, which has attacked certain cattle in the town 



