No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 527 



Worcester, where in 1896 there were 100 cases of suspected 

 glanders and farcy reported to the Cattle Commissioners ; in 

 1897 it was reduced to 84 and in 1898 to 29. This has been 

 accomplished in part by closing the public watering troughs 

 for awhile in 1897, and by keeping up a constant supervision 

 of sale stables and auction rooms, as well as keeping ail other 

 suspicious localities under careful observation. 



The Board is of the opinion that the cases of glanders and 

 farcy have been pretty generally reported to it during 1898 ; 

 and, while many horses are quietly killed by the owners and 

 not reported for fear of hurting the reputation of their stables, 

 and while a few unscrupulous individuals are not above sell- 

 ing or trading off a glandered horse, yet in the main a larger 

 proportion of the cases have been reported than in previous 

 years ; and as a rule there is a tendency among local authori- 

 ties and veterinarians to co-operate with the Board of Cattle 

 Commissioners in their endeavors to lessen the ravages of 

 this dangerous disease. It is to be hoped that another year 

 will show a still further decrease from 1898 in the number of 

 cases of this malady. 



As in 1896 and 1897, doubtful cases have been held in 

 quarantine until guinea-pigs could be tested with the nasal 

 discharge or w r ith material from farcv sores, in order to 

 establish a correct diagnosis, and this proves a very satis- 

 factory method as a rule ; occasionally it is necessary to 

 obtain material a second time, but generally the first test is 

 sufficient. Mallein has been satisfactorily used a few times, 

 but usually the guinea-pig test seems preferable. Of course 

 in perfectly clear, well-marked cases it is not necessary to 

 verify the diagnosis. 



The work of establishing the correctness of the diagnosis 

 by means of the guinea-pig test has been done in part by 

 Dr. Langdon Frothingham and a portion by Dr. Theobald 

 Smith. The tests made by Dr. Smith have been done free 

 of charge, owing to the crippled condition of the finances of 

 the Board, caused by the failure of the last Legislature to 

 make a sufficient appropriation. The Board of Cattle 

 Commissioners take this opportunity to express their deep 

 obligations to Dr. Smith for all his courtesy. 



