27 



Government. In a number of these countries, the state, prefec- 

 tural, or provincial government may exercise authority over 

 local outbreaks, provided it is shown that the local authorities 

 are capable of controlling the disease to the extent of prevent- 

 ing the spread of infection. The central government, however, 

 in all cases reserves the right to regulate the movement of 

 animals whenever in the judgment of the federal authorities the 

 infection is likely to spread to other districts. 



Rinderpest is a disease that has been especially difficult to 

 eradicate from every country into which it has been introduced. 

 The length of time required to stamp out this infection in 

 different countries has varied greatly and has depended upon the 

 local methods of handling cattle and the degree to which the 

 laws controlling the movement of animals have been performed. 



In England, where the land is well fenced and cattle are, there- 

 fore, well restrained, and where respect for law is very high, 

 infections have been stamped out within a period of two years. 



In Hungary, an infection occurred in 1827 and the disease 

 raged almost without cessation until 1842. Hungary was again 

 infected in 1849 and the disease remained there almost unabated 

 until 1862. 



Operations against rinderpest in European Russia were 

 marked by the passage and enforcement of a drastic act in 1879, 

 but it was not until 1900 that the infection was entirely stamped 

 out. 



Rinderpest was unknown in Africa until 1864, when it was 

 discovered in Egypt, It gradually spread to the south African 

 states where the last great epizootic occurred in 1896-97, when 

 from 80 to 90 per cent of the cattle died. 



Assisted by the Director of Agriculture, H. T. Edwards, and 

 the chief veterinarian of the Bureau of Agriculture, Dr. S. 

 Youngberg, I looked somewhat carefully into the rinderpest 

 situation in the Philippines. Among others, we visited the 

 three provinces in which the disease is most prevalent, Pam- 

 panga, Tarlac, and Pangasinan. 



We inspected a number of the quarantine pens where animals 

 affected with rinderpest were confined ; observed the extent to 

 which the regulations of the Bureau of Agriculture, with respect 

 to the movement of animals in and out of barrios under quaran- 

 tine were being obeyed ; and conferred with the governors of 

 two of the provinces, the veterinarians of the Bureau of Agricul- 

 ture in charge of the local work, and the Constabulary officers who 

 are charged with the enforcement of the quarantine regulations. 

 I also took occasion to talk at length with a number of carabao 



