322 
F. H. OSGOOD. 
in the control of the Commission. They were to determine 
the method to be used in making these inspections. Under 
this law the Commission determined that the only reliable 
method of detecting tuberculosis was by the injection of tu¬ 
berculin. This inspection was made entirely by the board of 
agents specially appointed by them for that purpose, and was 
not put into the hands of the local inspectors. Under this 
regulation all animals quarantined as suspected of tuberculosis 
were tested with tuberculin; and, in addition to this, the 
Board began a systematic examination of all animals in the 
State, beginning by quarantining such animals by counties, 
testing the neat stock within the limits of each county with 
tuberculin, freeing those which were found to be exempt from 
the disease, and destroying those found affected with it. Un¬ 
der the law passed at the recent session of the Legislature, it 
was provided that “until the first day of June, 189b, the use 
of tuberculin as a diagnostic agent for the detection of the 
disease known as tuberculosis in domestic cattle shall be re¬ 
stricted to cattle brought into the Commonwealth from any 
point without its limits, and to all cattle held in quarantine at 
Brighton, Watertown and Somerville; provided, however, 
that tuberculin may be used as such diagnostic agent on any 
animal or animals in any other portion of the State, upon the 
consent in writing of the owner or person in possession there¬ 
of, and upon any animal condemned as tuberculous upon 
physical examination by a competent veterinarian.” Under 
this restriction the Commission have been obliged to abandon 
the systematic examination of cattle. They still require all 
animals coming into the State to be so tested, unless they 
enter the State accompanied by a proper certificate that they 
have successfully passed such tuberculin test. All animals 
quarantined as tuberculous on physical examination are also 
subjected to the tuberculin test, and tests are made upon writ¬ 
ten application of the owner. 
In brief, the only changes effected by the law of this last 
year are to extend the regular examination of sheep and 
swine, to provide for the payment of quarantine expens es in 
certain cases after ten days, to provide for the payment of the . 
