^8 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



twenty-five animals, and nearly one-half he had already lost, 

 another was sick and certainly would have died, the commis- 

 sioners then took possession of the herd, which then consisted 

 of fourteen head. 



Again in relation to Mead's herd, a gentleman informed us 

 that an ox was killed at a slaughter house in Acton, belonging 

 to a brother of Mead, said ox had a diseased lung, to an extent 

 that the butcher refused to have anything to do with the meat. 

 On our arrival, it Vas found, as stated by Mr. Lincoln, that there 

 were two cows tied up by order of the selectmen. The cattle 

 belonging to his brother were examined, the owner and the 

 neighbors questioned, but no satisfactory evidence could be 

 obtained. It was resolved to have the the dead cow exhumed ; 

 on examination, the wall of the thorax had been removed on 

 the healthy side, but the diseased lung had not been seen ; it 

 was removed and found to be consolidated. The disease of 

 which the animal died was contagious pleuro-pneumonia. The 

 remaining cow was examined, and it was supposed had the 

 disease in a chronic form. Whether she had or not, it would 

 have been necessary to have removed her, from the fact that 

 ishe had been tied up by the side of the acutely diseased one for 

 several days, which cow finally died. It is more than probable 

 she would have had the disease, and as there was but one, the 

 expense attending the keeping and the necessary examinations, 

 would far exceed the value of the animal ; for that reason she 

 was killed. Again he says, in relation to the herd at Deer 

 Island : " It was agreed on our part with Mr. Payson, with 

 whom the city authorities had left the whole matter, so far as 

 they were concerned, that on the Tuesday following (this was 

 on Saturday) the commissioners would go to Deer Island, have 

 the herd appraised. Dr. Thayer would examine it carefully, and 

 the State should take the part of it in which he should find any 

 evidence of the disease existing, and the city should hold the 

 remainder." It is true that in conversation with the directors, 

 some one remarked that Deer Island would be a good place to 

 try the experiments. The question was asked what would be 

 the best manner of disposing of the herd. The reply was that 

 the most economical was slaughter, there being many animals 

 among them valuable for beef, which had not yet shown any 

 symptoms of illness, and that the period of time had passed for 



