No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 481 



In the case of Mr. Ellis's herd an endeavor was made to 

 locate the source of reinfection, and the diseased portions of 

 six of the last cows were submitted to Prof. Theobold 

 Smith, to get an opinion as to the age of the lesions. His 

 opinion on this point, was a singularly strong confirmation of 

 the opinion that the cattle contracted the disease after their 

 introduction to the barn. These cows were tested and 

 appeared all right before being bought. They reacted after 

 three months had elapsed ; on autopsy the lesions were found 

 to be slight, and on examination by Professor Smith he 

 stated that in his opinion they were only from two to three 

 months old. This would seem to indicate that the disease 

 was probably contracted in the barn, and corroborates the 

 opinion held by the Board of the danger to cattle recently 

 introduced into infected barns. This danger exists to a 

 greater or less extent in all barns that have been inhabited 

 by diseased cattle. 



Another idea that naturally suggests itself is that it might 

 be well to advise every farmer or owner in the State to 

 cleanse and whitewash his barn say twice a year, whether 

 any cattle have been taken out or not ; in this way, if any 

 infectious material existed in the barn it would at least be 

 reduced in quantity, the danger would be lessened, and of 

 course if this disinfection was kept up it would materially 

 lessen the amount of infectious material, and therefore lessen 

 the danger to the other cattle in the barn. On the other 

 hand, if neither diseased cattle nor infectious material had 

 been in the barn, it would at least do no harm to wash and 

 whitewash, and it would tend to inculcate ideas of cleanliness 

 where perhaps they had been wanting. 



During the year, on the request of several owners, and on 

 their promising to observe certain conditions, a number of 

 animals that had reacted to the test were kept in quarantine 

 in separate buildings for observation and experimental pur- 

 poses. 



In the month of December, 1894, a bull belonging to 

 G. H. Ellis of Newton was tested, with the following reac- 

 tion : — 



Dec. 28, 1894 — 7.30 A.M, 101; 5 a.m., 99.4; 7 a.m., 101.1; 9 a.m., 101; 

 12 m, 101.1; 3 p.m., 103.1; 5 p.m., 102.3. 



