SPECIAL REPORT ON GLANDERS. 



Ottawa, September ist, 1906. 

 Sir,— 



I have the honour to present a special report upon the work performed 



■during the last four years by this Branch of your Department in dealing with 



Glander.s. , , 



This disease has Jong betn'rightly looked upon as one of the most serious 

 and dangerous of animal plagues, and evfin were there no recent striking 

 developments, or rather circumstances, demanding- special attention, a report 

 01 this kind would not be out of place. 



As matters stand now, however, there are grave reasons for. the careful, 

 summing up of the whole situation, and in my opinion for, the serious recon- 

 sideration of the views iheld regarding the disease by a majority of the veter- 

 inary practitioners of this continent, and for a radical change in the attitude 

 generally assumed by governmental bodies in dealing with it. 



It is quite unnecessary to occupy your time by any dissertation on the 

 general history and patholpgy of Glanders, or on the serious consequences not 

 only to horses, but to human being.s, which its' continued existence in any com,- 

 ' munity is liable to entail. It is equally needless to descant upon its prevalence 

 on this continent and the importance of the adoption of an intelligent and 

 -•comprehensive policy, having in view its immediate control and ultimate] 

 eradication. 



As statistical and other details have been furnished in my various annual' 

 reports, I propose to conHne myself to a brief hisito^y of our recent work in 

 ■connection with the disease, followed by a short summary, of the conclusions 

 reached, on several points regarding which opinions, even to-day, differ, some- 

 what widely. , ' ' 



it is- almost exactly four years since the discovery of a serious outbreak of 

 Glanders in' tihe City of Ottawa rendered necessary a prompt decision as to 

 ■whether ithe control of this disease was to be assumed by the Federal author- 

 ities, or left, as it had up till then been, except in the North-West Territories, 

 and in the case of one or two isolated outbreaks elsewhere, in the hands of the 

 Provinces. > , . , 



After carefully considering my representations, you, decided that it would 

 "be in the be.st interests of all concerned to bring the disease under the direct 

 'control of the Health of Animals' Branch of your Department. This was 



