SECRETARY'S REPORT. 7 



• 



The carcase of the dead animal had been carried to the woods, 

 (about a mile distant,) and left above ground, and had become 

 frozen. On examination, there was sufficient evidence that 

 pleurisy had existed, but no evidence of diseased lungs, one of 

 which had been carried away. As the symptoms of the two 

 that wore ill were not sufficiently positive, it was decided to 

 isolate the herd, and await further developments. 



On the 8th of March, another visit was made, (a request 

 having been received,) when two more of the herd were found 

 sick, one of which had the night previous aborted a calf. " 



One of the first alluded to was selected, (percussion giving a 

 flat sound over the whole thoracic region of the right side,) and 

 slaughtered. 



The autopsy showed adhesion .of the whole of the large lobe 

 to the ribs, which was evidently of long standing, probably a 

 year or more; several physicians being present, all were of this 

 opinion. 



On cutting through the lung, unmistakable evidence of 

 contagious plcuro-pneumonia was present. 



The isolation of the remainder of the herd was continued, 

 during which Mr. Adams fed, with graiii, one of the cows which 

 showed but slight symptoms of illness, when we were present. 



On the 8th of June she was slaughtered, and the examination 

 disclosed adhesion to exist to the sixth and seventh ribs, and to 

 the vertebrse. A cyst, containing a mass, weighing, by estimate, 

 two pounds, was • found in the lung. As no other cases had 

 occurred from the 8th of March to the 8th of June, the herd 

 was released. 



It should be noted that Mr. Adams' herd consisted of five 

 cows, which had been kept on his own farm during the season, a 

 yoke of oxen, four two year old heifers, and three cows which 

 he had kept in a pasture in Ashburnham. The first animal 

 taken sick was one of the heifers he brought from Ashburnham, 

 about the middle of August, and was taken sick about the 20th 

 of December. 



The commissioners were unable to find that pleuro-pneumonia 

 had ever existed in any herd within six miles of Mr. Adams' farm. 



Our attention was next called to the herd of Avery Whiting, 

 of West Dedham, consisting of three cows only. The history of 

 this herd is as follows : 



