City Cow-Trade. 91 



was that every dealer's stable became sooner or later a 

 pest-house and a centre from which the disease was con- 

 stantly spread in all directions. The same was the case 

 with the Union Stock Yards where at first we found sick 

 animals standing that had been brought in from city 

 stables. 



A second dangerous practice of dealers was the ped- 

 dling of cows which were driven from herd to herd, and 

 too often at night or during the heat of midday, were 

 stabled with herds where they happened to be overtaken. 

 In this way they usually took in the disease germs if they 

 were not already affected, or if they had already taken 

 them in they diffused them wherever they went. 



Then, again, the cows that were given out on trial were 

 too often those that were in the earlier stages of the dis- 

 ease, or but partially recovered from it, that were doing 

 badly in consequence, and as no one cared to keep them 

 they made a hasty progress through a number of herds, 

 infecting them all in turn. 



Pasturage on Commons. — Another prolific source of the 

 disease in cities, is found in the abundance of open 

 grounds intended for buildiug and held by speculators 

 in prospect of sale. On such unfenced grounds the 

 poorer owner of two or three cows and even the holder 

 of a score or more, turn out their cattle daily to pasture, 

 and as herd mingles with herd the sick infect the healthy, 

 and soon a whole neighborhood is contaminated by one 

 sick beast. There is usually an understanding that sick 

 cows are to be kept in, but this is often neglected, and 

 even where adopted it but hides the danger for tho 

 slightly affected and those that are recovering, but retain 

 in the chest an encysted mass of infecting material, are 

 turned out and transmit the disease freely. Some seek 

 to protect their cows by herding them on such places, 

 and others by staking them, but all such measures must 

 be futile so long as they are allowed to graze where sick 

 cattle have been before them. 



