150 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



anthrax during the summer and early autumn, in the vicinity 

 of Great Barrington, most of them in the valley of the Plousa- 

 tonic River, in the town of Sheffield below Great Barrington. 

 At first the animals were supposed to have been poisoned by 

 some poisonous plant growing on low land, which the animals 

 ate because of the shortage of feed caused by the drought; 

 but later, by having specimens of blood from dead animals 

 sent to the Harvard Medical School for examination, the an- 

 thrax bacilli were found. 



Altogether, 28 cattle are reported to have died of this dis- 

 ease, 11 horses and possibly 2 pigs; 2 men in the town of 

 Sheffield have had malignant pustule on the arms, from skin- 

 ning cows that died of anthrax. There have not been any 

 cases reported since October, and it is hoped that the outbreak 

 is over, although there is a possibility of its reappearance in 

 the spring. 



In addition to investigations of this outbreak made by 

 agents of the Cattle Bureau and its Chief, the Commonwealth 

 is much indebted to the medical officer of health of the dis- 

 trict, who has made a very valuable report of what he has been 

 able to ascertain. The origin of the outbreak has not as yet 

 been discovered. 



Several sudden deaths occurred in an expressman's stable 

 in Medford early in the summer, in all 3 horses dying. These 

 deaths were very sudden, and occurred in a locality where 

 anthrax was found the previous year, and it was thought at 

 first that death was due to anthrax. Further study showed it 

 to be an acute septic infection ; the remaining horses were 

 removed from the stable, and the premises disinfected. 



A few cases have been reported of arsenate of lead poison- 

 ing in cattle grazing near sprayed trees, as well as the usual 

 cases of infectious pneumonia of cattle, dysentery among cat- 

 tle, etc., which have been investigated sufficiently to ascertain 

 that they were not contagious diseases recognized by the 

 statutes. A few cases of infectious keratitis (that is, infec- 

 tious inflammation of the cornea) have been reported during 

 August, but the trouble does not appear to have been serious. 



Contagious abortion in cows, as well as barrenness, due to 

 infectious vaginitis, are matters to which the attention of the 



