INSPECTION AND PROTECTION OP CATTLE. 23 



Pieuro-pneumonia eradicated. — The Bureau of Animal Industry grew 

 steadily. Complaints were made by foreign Governments that Ameri- 

 can meats came very frequently from diseased animals. Restrictions 

 were put uj^on their importation and in some cases absolute prohibition 

 was enforced. The meat was generally subjected to Government inspec- 

 tion on its arrival in Europe, and as there was no inspection on this 

 side no reply could be made to assertions Ihat it was diseased. Secre- 

 tary Kusk obtained authority to make insjjections and money to pay 

 for them. Soon after this system of inspection was fully in operation 

 the prohibition against American X)ork in Germany was withdrawn. 

 The number of animals inspected in 1892 was 5,076,929. The total 

 expenses of the bureau were increased from $469,113.35 to $649,980.91. 

 The bureau was reorganized at this time and its work assigned to sub- 

 divisions as follows: Animal pathology, field investigations and mis- 

 cellaneous work, and quarantine. The fight against infectious diseases 

 was energetically pushed and on September 26, 1892, Secretary Rnsk 

 announced that the country was entirely free from contagious pleuro- 

 pneumonia. 



Inspection of American cattle in England.— In 1890 inspection of Ameri- 

 can cattle by American inspectors stationed in Great Britain was 

 inaugurated. This was necessary in order to check reports of disease 

 in cattle arriving in that country from the United States. With the 

 aid of Minister Eobert Lincoln arrangements were made to have all 

 cases of disease examined by American as well as English veterinarians. 

 This led to animated discussions between the two sets of inspectors as 

 to the nature of the malady discovered. Many cases reported by the 

 English oflBcials as pleuropneumonia were shown by the American 

 inspectors to be onl^' bronchopneumonia, a noncontagious form of lung 

 disease. In every case, moreover, by a system of tagging the cattle 

 for identification, it was. shown that the cattle so condemned had never 

 been exposed. The condemnations soon ceased. 



Improvement in transportation of cattle by sea. — In 1891 Mr. Plimsoll, 

 whose work for the English sailor had established his reputation as a 

 l^hilanthropist, came to this country to lecture against the inhumanities 

 attending the transportation of American cattle to England. That 

 such inhumanities existed was notorious, and Mr. Plimsoll's crusade 

 was greatly encouraged from selfish and interested motives by British 

 stockmen who believed that the effect of the agitation would be unfavor- 

 able for the marketing of American cattle. A bill was q iiickly drawn at 

 the Department after a consultation between members of Congress 

 interested and the Department authorities. This was pushed through 

 at the close of the session and approved on March 3, 1891. It placed 

 the supervision of the cattle quarters of all vessels engaged in the 

 trade under the control of the Secretary of Agriculture. So effectual 

 did this legislation seem to be that Mr. Plimsoll was satisfied and gave 

 up his self imposed mission . The results have been found so satisfactory 

 that insurance rates on cattle have been reduced from $8 to $1 per 



