536 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The outbreak at Lanesborough has just been reported, and 

 is at present being investigated. 



The Department of Agriculture at Washington is now ex- 

 perimenting with a serum treatment for the prevention or 

 cure of hog cholera and swine plague. If a serum or 

 antitoxin for these diseases can be produced, so that the 

 Board can assist farmers to protect their swine by protective 

 inoculation, or by treating well and diseased in these out- 

 breaks, it is not unlikely that more cases of disease among 

 swine would be reported to the Board than at present. 



Swine frequently have tuberculosis ; but as a general thing 

 the first notification received by the Board of this disease 

 among pigs, is that animals have been condemned by the 

 inspectors at the time of slaughter because infected with this 

 disorder to such an extent as to render them unfit for human 

 food. 



Other Contagious Diseases. 



There have been no reports of other suspected contagious 

 diseases of animals during the past year, with the exception 

 of a disease among cattle at Marston's Mills, in the town 

 of Mashpee, thought to be anthrax. The secretary of the 

 Board investigated the matter at the time he investigated the 

 outbreak of swine disease at Hyannis in September, but 

 failed to find the cows suffering from any communicable 

 disease. 



AUSTIN PETERS, Chairman. 



JOHN M. PARKER, Secretary. 



MAURICE O'CONNELL. 



LEANDER F. HERRICK. 



CHARLES A. DENNEN. 



