No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 207 



direction will be necessary, if we are to continue the work 

 on tuberculosis ; that is to say, that, while the new laws 

 have imposed a very greatly increased amount of work upon 

 the Board, they have not increased its working efficiency in 

 any commensurate degree. 



If the present law, in so far as it relates to the appoint- 

 ment of inspectors, is to remain in force, there are but two 

 remedies which suggest themselves here ; first, enlarge the 

 Board by the addition of a sufficient number of new Com- 

 missioners ; or, second, devise some plan by which agents^ 

 to be appointed by the Board, can be allowed so much free- 

 dom of action that the present condition of affairs will not 

 be likely to again occur. There is one possible feature of 

 the agent plan that is worth special consideration, perhaps. 

 The whole State could be divided up into districts ; each of 

 these districts could have its resident agent, to whom, through, 

 the office of the Commissioners, many of the cases in that 

 district could be sent, and which, in this way, would be 

 reached promptly and at a minimum expense for travelling 

 fees. It is also true that a great many of the calls turn out 

 to be false alarms ; these would be ended entirely by a single 

 visit of the agent. As a matter of fact, out of four hundred 

 and ninety-nine cases recently examined, one hundred and 

 four proved to be of this character. 



Indemnity. 



The present laws of Massachusetts in relation to the sup- 

 pression of tuberculosis differ so materially from those in 

 some of the other States, and generally for the accomplish- 

 ment of the same end, that it seems to us, in two particular* 

 at any rate, to be worth while to discuss them, shortly, here. 



The Massachusetts laws provide that each town in the 

 Commonwealth shall support one or more inspectors, whose 

 duties have been already sufficiently described ; and, further, 

 that all animals that are thought to be diseased shall be de- 

 stroyed without remuneration to the owner, excepting that 

 in those cases when a post-mortem examination shows that 

 the animal has not been the victim of the disease, as sup- 

 posed, the owner may be paid its full sound value, by the 

 State. 



