202 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



older cattle entirely free from disease, they would bo willing to kill all of the six head 



of calves, bat would not allow any post-mortem examination made of them ; they would 

 be willing to state that I had pronounced one of them suspicious, aud therefore they, 

 to insure safety, had killed the calves and removed thereby all danger of further con- 

 tamination. I refused to enter into any such compact, but told them that Iwouldreport 

 to you the exact condition in which I found their cattle, and that I would not express 

 a positive opinion of the nature of the disease, although the actual condition of two 

 of them, in connection with their history, would be sufficient grounds for a positive 

 diagnosis without any great danger of mistake. They were going to send dispatches 

 to the leading stock papers, making the statement as I made it to them, so there 

 should not be any conflict between them and me, and went so far as to write it down. 

 Nevertheless, after all that promise and seeming show of doing justice to us and to 

 themselves, they forwarded dispatches stating that I found no disease in their herd 

 and pronounced them all healthy. 



The following correspondence, which explains itself, shows the ac- 

 tion taken by this Department upon the receipt of the above report : 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Washington, D. C, September 13, 1884. 



Gentlemen : I am informed by Dr. D. E. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry, that twenty head of cattle purchased by you of M. G. Clarke, of Geneva, 111., 

 left that herd at a time when contagious pleuro-pneumonia existed in it. I am also 

 informed that some of these animals now in your herd, when examined by Dr. Trum- 

 bower, an inspector of the Bureau of Animal Industry, showed very parked symp- 

 toms of this disease in its chronic form. Animals showing these symptoms are liable 

 to infect others with which they may come in contact for an indefinite time after 

 they have apparently recovered. I desire to inform you, therefore, that your herd is 

 in danger of being infected so long as animals that have once been affected with 

 pleuro-pneumonia are allowed to remain in it ; and also that animals that have come 

 in contact or been exposed to cattle that have once had an attack of pleuro-pneumo- 

 nia endanger other herds which may come in contact with them. 



In this connection I would also call your attention to sections 6 and 7 of " An act for 

 the establishment of a Bureau of Animal Industry," &c, approved May 29, 1884, which 

 makes it a misdemeanor to send animals affected with pleuro-pneumonia from one State 

 into another. In view of the great danger now menancing the vast live-stock interests 

 of our country on account of the presence of this dangerous disease in the West, this 

 Department is determined to use all its influence to secure the prosecution and con- 

 viction of all parties who are responsible for the further dissemination of pleuro- 

 pneumonia. 



Hoping that you will destroy all animals in your herd that have been affected with 

 this plague, and isolate the remainder of the herd that have been exposed to the con- 

 tagion for three months after such exposure, 

 I am, very respectfully, &c, 



E. A. CARMAN, 



Acting Commissioner. 



Messrs. Frisbie & Lake, 



Cynthiana, Ky. 



On the same day the following letter was addressed to the Governor 

 of Kentucky: 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Washington, D. C, September 13, 1884. 



Sir : I deem it my duty to inform you that I have been informed by Dr. D. E. Sal- 

 mon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, that Messrs. Frisbie & Lake, of Cyn- 

 thiana, Ky., purchased twenty head of cattle of M. G. Clarke, of Geneva, 111., at a 

 time when contagious pleuro-pneumonia, or lung plague, existed in his (Clarke's) herd. 

 Further, that Dr. Truinbower, an Inspector of this Bureau, recently examined the 

 herd belonging to Messrs. Frisbie & Lake, and found some of the animals showing- 

 very marked symptoms of this disease, in the chronic form. Animals showing these 

 symptoms are liable to infect others with which they may come in contact for an in- 

 definite time after they have apparently recovered. 



Shortly after the examination of this herd by Dr. Trumbower, a telegram was pub- 

 lished to the effect that our Inspector found all the animals in a healthy condition. 

 This was not true, as both Dr. Trumbower and Dr. Salmon affirm. 



We have to-day addressed a letter to Messrs. Frisbie & Lake, requesting them to 



