No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' EEPORT. 427 



contained in the Public Statutes, as amended by the act already 

 cited. 



In 1887 the entire matter of contao-ious diseases was ajjain 

 given attention by the Legislature, and resulted in the passage 

 of an act (chapter 252) repealing the previous laws. This act 

 of 1887, with some slight amendments, was the law under 

 which this commission worked until the passage of the act of 

 last year. The sections of this act relating to compensation are 

 12 and 13 : — 



Sect. 12. The commissioners, when in their judgment the circum- 

 stances of the case and the pubUc good require it, may cause to be 

 killed and buried any domestic animals which are infected with or 

 have been exposed to contagious disease, and except as iwovided in 

 Ihe following s-iction shall cause such animals to be appraised by three 

 competent, disinterested men, under oath, at the fair vcdue thereof in 

 their condition at the time of appraisement^ and the amount of the 

 appraisement and necessary expense of the same shall be paid as pro- 

 vided in section one \_i. e., one-fifth by the city or town and four-fifths 

 by the CommonAvealth]. 



Sect. 13. When the commissioners, by an examination of a case 

 of contagious disease among domestic animals, become satisfied that it 

 has been contracted by intention or negligence on the part of the owner 

 or the person in his employ or by his consent, or by the use of food 

 materials liable to contain the germs of contagion, they shall cause 

 such animals to be securely isolated at the expense of the owner, or 

 they shall cause them to be killed tvithout appraisal or payment, and in 

 all cases of farcy or glanders the commissioners having condemned the 

 animal infected therewith shall cause sucJi animal to be killed icifhout an 

 ai^ipraisal, but may pay the owner or any other person an equitable sum 

 for the killing and burial thereof. 



'o 



Under this law, as before in the case of glanders and farcy, 

 the appraisal was dispensed with and no value was paid. In 

 all other cases, provided the disease was not due to his a\ ilful 

 or ncffliaent act, the owner received the actual value of the 

 animal, taking into consideration the disease. But here again 

 it must be remembered that substantially' the only disease then 

 being considered was glanders and farcy. 



Tliis law remained unchano-ed until 1892. In this year for 

 the lirst time tuberculosis was treated as a contagious disease. 

 Under all the laws prior to this, although in theory tuI)erculosis 



