398 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPOET. 



To the Honorable Senate and House of Bepresentatives of the Common- 

 wealth of Massachusetts. 



The undersigned Cattle Commissioners respectfully submit 

 their annual report. 



Horses. 

 The year has been one of general health for our equine 

 stock, though during the months of October, November and 

 December an epizootic prevailed to a limited extent, causing 

 more or less trouble to livery owners and horse-car com- 

 panies. As usual, the only contagion endangering this class 

 of animals has been glanders, and the cases, whether actual 

 or suspicious, have not been more numerous than in 1887. 

 We have taken charge of, and caused the isolation of, many 

 suspects which were afterwards released, and have con- 

 demned to slaughter seventy-six animals having the lesions 

 of the disease. We have the best of reasons for believing 

 that the provisions of law requiring "persons who have 

 knowledge of, or have reason to suspect, the existence of a 

 contagious disease among any species of domestic animals in 

 this State, whether such knowledge is obtained by personal 

 examination or otherwise, to forthwith give notice thereof to 

 the board of healtli of the city or town where such diseased 

 animals are kept," is too often disregarded, and in such a 

 manner that detection and conviction is nearly impossible. 

 The motive for this course of action, in many cases, is doubt- 

 less to escape the action of the law, which condemns such 

 diseased animals to slaughter ; but in others it is for the pur- 

 pose of avoiding publicity and supposed injury to the repu- 



