INTRODUCTION. 



were decimated. Great alarm was felt, not only in the New England and middle States, but through 

 out the west. A special session of the legislature of Massachusetts was called, and $100,000 

 appropriated for the employment of measures calculated to arrest the spread of the disease. The most 

 important of which was, in brief, as follows : Cattle which are infected, or have been exposed to in 

 fection, shall be enclosed in a suitable place and kept isolated ; the expense of their maintenance to be 

 defrayed, one-fifth by the town and four-fifths by the State. The cattle may be killed at the discre 

 tion of the constituted authorities, and their value paid to the owners. The same authorities may also 

 prohibit the departure of cattle from any enclosure, and also exclude cattle therefrom. They can also 

 prohibit the passage of cattle through the town or city, or of bringing them into it. All cattle that are 

 diseased or have been exposed to the infection, to be marked on the rump with the letter P ; and no 

 animal so branded shall be sold or disposed of without the consent of the authorities. All who know, 

 or have reason to suspect, of the existence of the disease among their cattle must give notice of the 

 fact to the authorities. 



In addition to the local authorities, three persons are appointed as commissioners, to examine into 

 the nature of the disease, to attend the hospitals or quarantine stations, and to make a report of them 

 to the governor and council. These measures were eminently successful ; the disease was speedily 

 arrested, and, from all we can learn from the official accounts, not more than 500 animals died from the 

 disease. In addition to this, G57 animals that had been exposed to contagion were killed, but on post 

 mortem examination found to be sound ; 185 animals were killed that proved to be diseased. One fact 

 seems to be clearly established, that the disease is contagious, and the only sure preventive is to isolate 

 the affected cattle. 



The disease is not entirely new in this country. It broke out in the herd of E. P. Prentice, esq., 

 of Mount Hope, near Albany, New York, in 1854. Sixteen animals were affected, fourteen of which 

 died. The disease does not seem at that time to have spread in the neighborhood, and this case at 

 tracted no general attention until it broke out in Massachusetts in 1859. 



SHEEP. 



The total number of sheep in the United States in 1860 was 22,471,275, against 21,723.220 in 

 1850; showing an increase of only 748,055. 



The following table shows the number of sheep in the New England States in 1860, as compared 

 with 1850: 



Total 1, 779, 767 2, 247, 583 



The total number of sheep in the New England States was 2,247,583 in 1850, and 1,779,767 in 

 1860, showing a decrease of 467,816. In 1850 Vermont had 1,004,122 sheep, and in 1860 752,201, 

 being a decrease of 251,921. Maine had 456,577 in 1850, and 452,472 in 1860, showing an increase 

 of nearly one thousand. Maine is the only New England State in which there has been any increase 

 since 1850. It may be interesting to mention that Vermont had 1,681,819 sheep in 1840, so that since 

 that date the number of sheep in this State has fallen off more than one-half. In Maine also, though 

 there has been a slight increase since 1850, there is a marked decrease since 1840, at which time there 

 were 649,264 sheep, against 452,472 in 1860. In New Hampshire there has been an equally great 

 falling off since 1840. In Connecticut the decrease is still greater. In the aggregate the number of 



