SECRETARY'S REPORT. 19 



and 'good milking cows, the disease was taken and proved fatal in a 

 much hirger proportion of cases than with cattle of the poorer class, and 

 more sparingly fed. The cattle used for experiment the past year were 

 not great milkers, and were rather poor, and were selected at consid- 

 erable distance, to prevent the possibility of their ever being exposed to 

 the disease previously. An experiment worthy of the subject, and of 

 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, under the direction of competent 

 persons, would doubtless produce results of great value to the people of 

 the State. Certainly, if the disease is a fixed institution, it is desirable 

 that all the knowledge relating to it be obtained, to guide in the 

 future. 



Respectfully submitted. 



E. F. TiiAYEi;. 



The cows were kept at Ncwtonville until May 18th, when a 

 bull was purchased, and with the cows was sent to pasture at 

 Lovell's Island, Boston Harbor. 



June 9th. — Visited the island and found them all in thriving 

 condition, excepting the roan cow, Avhich calved March 18tli ; 

 she looked haggard and dull, had staring coat, and was poor in 

 flesh compared with the others, and in consideration of the large 

 amount of food on the island. 



The calf sucked the cow during the summer. 



July 11th. — Again visited the island and found all, with the 

 above exception, had accumulated flesh rapidly. In July, the 

 officers in charge of Lovell's Island directed that all the animals 

 be removed, as some improvements were to be made ; therefore, 

 Hog Island, situated in Hull, was selected, and the cattle 

 removed there. 



A visit was occasionally made, and the animals examined. 

 No material change occurred in their condition until the exces- 

 sive drought dried up the grass, when all of them lost flesh. 



September 19th. — The four cows, bull, and calf, were slaugh- 

 tered at Brighton. 



Autopsies. — The roan cow (No. 1, Maine,) was first killed. 

 On removing the right lung it was found adherent to the ribs at 

 its lower border, about five incites in lengtli and four in width ; 

 that portion of the lung appeared wasted, and on the inner sur- 

 face was a cicatrix, as if suppuration had taken place, and 

 ulceration sufficient to open the cyst, causing a discharge of the 

 contents of the cyst into the thorax. A small cyst was found in 



