SECRETARY'S REPORT. 9 



being sent away until tlic commissioners were satisfied the 

 disease had not been communicated, when they were released. 



Since the appropriation, by the legislature, of 820,000, iii 

 1864, the commissioners have expended the sum of 8T,943.78, 

 a considerable part of which has been for the experiments 

 ordered by the executive department. 



Several towns have drawn sums for claims made previous to 

 the appointment of the commission, amounting to $1,906.36, 

 leaving a balance of $10,149.86, which reverts to the treasury. 



The conclusion of the Report of the Experiments made by 

 order of the executive department, to determine the question 

 of the " contagiousness and curability of the disease among 

 cattle, (pleuro-pneumonia ;) also whether for the purpose of 

 working, milking or breeding they have been injured by exposure 

 to disease, or by having had the disease ; and also to ascertain 

 by slaughtering them, at a sufficiently remote period, whether, 

 and to what extent, their fattening qualities have been injured," 

 is hereby respectfully submitted. 



A report relating to the contagiousness of the disease, as 

 shown by this experiment, was in May last sent to the legisla- 

 ture and printed, (House Doc, No. 292.) This report was as 

 follows : 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 



3Iassachusetts : 



In the Annual Report of the Commissioners on Contagious Diseases 

 of Cattle, it was stated that, by order of the honoi'able Council, experi- 

 ments were being made to test the question of contagiousness and 

 curability of the disease called pleuro-pneumonia, and that '• as the 

 experiments instituted are not concluded, the result will appear in a 

 future report." 



The results of the' experiments on the contagiousness of the disease 

 having since been obtained, the following Report is respectfully 

 submitted. 



On the 23d day of June, 1864, one of the cows belonging to Levi 

 Smith, of Ashby, Avas killed and found to be diseased with pleuro- 

 pneumonia, in the contagious form, although Mr. Smith had stated to 

 the Commissioners that he was confident his herd would not take the 

 disease, from the fact that the ox Avhich was slaughtered on the third 

 day of June, and found to be diseased, was removed from contact with 

 his animals soon after the sickness commenced. 

 2* 



