688 Veterinary Medicine. 



only successful remedy. Most things can wait for the call^ 

 assembling and action of a legislature ; the infection of cattle 

 plague can not. Such laws are not superfluous. If never called 

 for they still show a wise provision against a terrible, though 

 remote, possibility ; if really called for and they are not found 

 ready, the great cattle industry and even the agriculture of the- 

 continent may be largely sacrificed by the neglect. 



As guardian of the interests of The Philippines the United 

 States is to-day called upon to consider the question of ex- 

 terminating the disease which our interference brought upon the 

 islands. On the unfenced lands of these islands we have to face 

 on a smaller scale the problem of stamping out the plague which 

 has baffled the wisdom of Europe and Asia. The individual, 

 islands may perhaps be taken independently, the cattle collected 

 in small herds under fence, and by the sacrifice of a few the re- 

 mainder of any herd that shows infection may be immunized, 

 and the premises where they are confined disinfected until finally 

 no more cases occur. But whatever method is adopted the seclu- 

 sion of all within well fenced areas is the most important con- 

 sideration. No nation has ever succeeded in extirpating this nor 

 any other important infection in animals when they are allowed 

 to run at large and mingle freely, herd with herd, on unfenced 

 land. 



