SECRETARY'S REPORT. 25 



The Commissioners now proceeded to isolate and secure the 

 suspected herds as effectually as possible. They killed but 

 very few animals, and these mostly eitlier to ascertain whether 

 or not, the disease existed in certain herds ; or to exterminate 

 such as, from their connection with animals well-known to be 

 diseased, were considered dangerous. The most vigilant watch 

 was kept upon all herds supposed to be infected. The towns 

 in the central and westerly parts of WorcesterCounty, generally 

 adopted and published stringent regulations, in accordance 

 with the law " respecting contagious diseases among cattle ;" 

 and these, so far as known, were executed with commendable 

 promptness and fidelity, until the approach of cold weather, 

 and the apparent absence of the disease, rendered such precau- 

 tions unnecessary. 



It had been feared, that with the approach of cold weather, 

 the disease would again manifest itself. Such has been the 

 case in other countries ; and such, we had reason to apprehend, 

 would be the case here, unless the disease had been entirely 

 exterminated ; a consummation, which, however much desired, 

 could not with certainty be calculated upon. Thus far, there 

 have been iio new instances of the disease ; and it is now confi- 

 dently hoped that its extermination has been complete, with 

 the exception now to be mentioned. 



It has been already stated that the pleuro-pneumonia was 

 brought to North Brookfield from the herd of Winthrop W. 

 Clienery, Esq., of Belmont ; but no account has yet been given 

 of the manner in which the disease was introduced into his 

 herd, the consequences that followed, nor the subsequent action 

 of the Commissioners. 



According to the statement of Mr. Chenery, before the 

 committee appointed at the extra session, he imported three 

 cows and one heifer from Holland, which arrived at Boston 

 May 2od, 1859. Two of the three cows were in bad condition 

 when landed. The first died at the end of a week. The 

 second cow died two days afterwards. About the 20tli of 

 June, the third cow was found to be sick. She was kept with 

 some twenty or thirty head of cattle, in a room fifty feet 

 square. She died on the 29th of June. This was the day on 

 which the three calves were taken from INIr. Chenery's farm to 

 North Brookfield. Another cow was found to be diseased in 



