SECRETARY'S REPORT. 73 



had in every other instance been followed by disease, such 

 would be the case here. The course of the Cattle Commission- 

 ers was therefore clear. They struck at every root and branch 

 of this suspected herd, intending to annihilate all its connec- 

 tions, and following it up with perseverance and success till 

 their money and time were exhausted, before the extra session. 



Since then, new facts have given to the case a different 

 aspect. We find two of these suspected animals left without 

 any apparent harm. And we also find alive and well a herd 

 of fifty-three head (Moses Pollard's, of New Braintree) in 

 which one of these suspected animals was kept from November 

 to May, when it was killed and " pronounced," but not describ- 

 ed as diseased by Dr. Dadd. 



One examined by Dr. Martin and found free from disease at 

 Benjamin Cummings' left no known taint in his herd of ten 

 or twelve head, every animal of which is now alive and well. 

 The one sold to Shay is rioiv alive and considered well. The 

 one that passed through Tucker and Richards to Bowen and 

 "pronounced" diseased but not described so, is a little more 

 suspicious. The other was kept by Tucker himself in his own 

 herd of fifteen head, which is now apparently well, save sueli 

 animals as have been killed for beef and reported " all right." 

 The Stoddard animal is now fattening for beef and is soon to 

 be slaughtered for that purpose. Of the three animals that 

 went to Osborn Whiting's, one was "pronounced" but not 

 proved to be diseased. The one that went to Murphy's, Dadd 

 says "proved" to be diseased, but he does not give the 

 proof. 



Thus ends, we hope, the disease in this direction. It may be 

 asked, why did not Curtis Stoddard's herd like his father's take 

 the disease from the sick calf? We will not undertake to 

 explain this as such instances may be found in connection with 

 the most undoubted contagious diseases. It is possible that two 

 or three animals did take it, and were among the seven that 

 went into and were slaughtered with Leonard Stoddard's herd. 



" The Big' Team:' 

 On the 19th of December, 1859, there assembled together 

 forty-eight head of oxen to move a building, and six head more 

 were in the immediate vicinity to be called upon if needed. 



