406 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



It can but be noticed that the powers and duties of boards 

 of health under existing law, and the requirements of our 

 regulations, extend only to the control of the cattle supposed 

 to be infected, and the abatement of a nuisance similar to 

 the one mentioned at Medford. The sale of the milk and 

 meat of such a herd is controlled by the provisions of chapter 

 58 of the Public Statutes, which, however, is not in force 

 unless the city council or the inhabitants of the town vote to 

 adopt the same. Most of our cities have complied with this 

 requirement, but few, if any, of our towns. We therefore 

 recommend that the following article be inserted in all the 

 town warrants, to be acted on at their next town meeting ; 

 viz., to see if the town will vote to adopt the provisions of 

 chapter 58 of the Public Statutes, enabling the selectmen to 

 appoint an inspector of provisions and of animals intended 

 for slaughter. This article being adopted, and an inspector 

 appointed, legal control of the cattle and of the meat and 

 milk will be secured, the former by the board of health, and 

 the latter by the inspector ; and the Commissioners will 

 e;ive active assistance to each of these classes of officers. 



Early in December we received the following communica- 

 tion from Dr. Durgin, chairman of the Board of Health of 

 Boston, transmitting a letter from Dr. Lyman, dean and 

 professor of the Veterinary School of Harvard University, 

 as follows : — 



Board of Health, 12 Beacon Street, Boston, Dec. 1, 1890. 

 To the Honorable Cattle Commissioners. 



Gentlemen : — We have to-day received a letter from Dr. 

 Lyman, dean and professor of the Harvard Veterinary School, upon 

 the subject of increasing rabies among dogs, a copy of which we 

 herewith enclose. Dr. Lyman is qualified to speak with authority 

 upon this subject, and his letter is entitled to our serious attention. 

 The order of the Honorable Cattle Commissioners, issued in Feb- 

 ruary, 1888, requires the local boards of health, when notified of 

 the existence of any contagious disease among domestic animals, 

 to cause such animals to be securely isolated, and held till released 

 by order of the Commissioners. With most of the diseases among 

 domestic animals the execution of these orders would be sufficient ; 

 but with rabies we have a disease running so short a course, and 

 attended by such serious consequences before the animal can be 



