1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 397 



the work of the commission tedious, difficult and unsatis- 

 factory, for two reasons : first, because the possible pres- 

 ence of catarrh or caries makes a diagnosis somewhat uncer- 

 tain, and a long isolation necessary, that development may 

 change doubt to certainty ; second, because a class of quacks 

 claiming wonderful knowledge of diseases and medicines, 

 and who have need of the avails of practice, pretend to be 

 able to cure it permanently, and the owner of a valuable 

 horse, hoping that such is the fact, is willing to grant him a 

 trial, and earnestly pleads the stay of the law for that pur- 

 pose. We have good reason to believe there are in the 

 State well-educated veterinarians who are so unmindful of 

 their duty, of the law and its penalties, that cases of the 

 disease of which they become cognizant in the ordinary 

 course of practice are not reported to the proper law 

 officers. 



We are yet frequently notified of supposed cases of hog 

 cholera, a very few of which, however, are this disease. 

 These cases are generally where the food given the animals 

 is swill gathered in cities and large towns, against the use of 

 which swine breeders have been repeatedly warned ; in fact, 

 all the cases of this disease which have come to our notice 

 have been traced either directly or indirectly to the use of 

 this food. For this reason, more than two years ago we 

 issued a regulation to all our municipal officers, directing 

 them to visit and examine all reported cases, and, if satis- 

 fied that the disease was present, to separate the sick ani- 

 mals from the healthy, and to cause strict isolation of the 

 whole herd, to protect the public, and to take no further 

 action. That regulation has not been rescinded, and officers 

 should see that it is strictly enforced. 



There has been no devastating or malignant contagion 

 among the neat stock of the State, or any general deteriora- 

 tion of its health or usefulness. Annually for several years 

 we have reported the existence of tuberculosis in the State, 

 of our action respecting it ; and on more than one occasion 

 described in minute detail its lesions and general character- 

 istics, have indicated its probable extent, and the direction 

 of its dangerous tendencies. Careful observation during the 

 last year fails to convince us that this disease is becoming 



