No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 213 



therefore only diverted ; and it will continue just as long 

 as the law, which is meant to control it, can possibly be 

 avoided. 



Glanders. 



Glanders, or its prototype, farcy, has made its appearance 

 in each of the following-named towns : Attleborough, 

 Auburn, Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Clinton, 

 Concord, Everett, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Milford, 

 Millbury, Natick, Quincy, Somervillc, Springfield, Taunton, 

 Westport and Winthrop. 



There are good reasons for believing that many cases of 

 glanders exist in the State that are not reported either to the 

 local boards of health, or to the Commissioners ; and so long- 

 as the law is allowed to remain as now, so that it becomes the 

 duty only of such persons as have good reason to suspect 

 the existence of the disease to report to the proper author- 

 ities, this same difliculty will ])e felt. The greatest part of 

 the difficulty is now found to exist among a certain class 

 of horse dealers and stable keepers who sell horses, as well 

 as among some of those who practice medicine among ani- 

 mals. The first named of these hides the disease so that he 

 may sell the horse to some unsuspecting person ; the second 

 sort do not report the case because of indifference, or else 

 because by not doing so they are able to get a few dollars 

 for continuing its treatment for a time, which money would 

 be lost to them were the case reported to the authorities and 

 the animal killed. To be sure, the present law provides a 

 penalty for doing this sort of work ; but in order that the 

 penalty may be applied it is necessary to prove beyond a 

 reasonable doubt that the owner or doctor " had good reason 

 to suspect " that glanders existed ; and this proof is so diffi- 

 cult to get that the law really amounts to nothing. 



Very nmch might be accomplished, however, l)y directing 

 that the local inspectors of cattle should also examine any 

 horses that for any reason they may at any time suspect of 

 having glanders or farcy ; ' ' such persons " may also be 

 directed, as now, to report cases of suspicions that come 

 within their knowledge. The possible usefulness of some 

 such measure as this was well illustrated during last summer, 

 when a circus company, travelling over the road, made its 



