74 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In that team were two oxen formerly owned by Leonard Stoddard 

 wliich had been exposed till November 28th to his diseased herd. 

 These two oxen had entered Olmstead's herd, which they were 

 firmly believed to have contaminated, during a stay of five 

 days before, December 3d. Sixteen days after leaving Olm- 

 stead's herd, this yoke of oxen communicated freely with the 

 " big team." They were killed, examined and found badly 

 diseased in April or May. 



Two stags taken in exchange for these two oxen on December 

 3d, were in Olmstead's herd till Dec. 19th, and were worked 

 ill the " big team." Many of Olmstead's herd had died ; many 

 were slaughtered and examined post mortem and found dis- 

 eased, among which were these stags. 



At the time of the general slaughter there were six 



herds known to have the disease, consisting of . 223 head. 

 Curtis Stoddard's herd known to have been exposed 



to a diseased animal, . . . . . 19 " 



The big team known to have been exposed to a pair 



of diseased oxen, 44 " 



This big team had exposed as was supposed, some 380 " 

 Curtis Stoddard's herd had as was supposed, 



exposed some 200 " 



Making of primary and secondary exposures, . 866 " 

 Saying nothing of the tertiary ones. 



These were the facts upon which the Cattle Commissioners, 

 were obliged to act, having no powers but " extirpation." 



It matters not what is known" now, that is what was known 

 then. They acted accordingly, and caused to be slaughtered 

 forty-four oxen, and fifteen herds, (between 300 and 400 head) 

 of cattle. 



The evidence fails to convince us that a single ox took the 

 disease while in the " big team." There is not a single well 

 described case of disease among all those oxen, except such as 

 were, or had been in diseased herds, or had had some other 

 connection with diseased animals than in that " team." The 

 Medical Board have examined four of those animals post mortem, 

 and found them entirely sound, though some of them were "pro- 



