EDITORIALS. 
743 
paratively insignificant. As a matter of fact the German “vets” have found some 
disease in our cattle. They would not dare declare it if they had not. What this dis¬ 
ease is we do not know. We are certain it is not pleuro ; it is not claimed to be ; it 
may be the cornstalk disease ; it may be a “ship fever,” which exposure at sea en¬ 
courages. Possibly it is Texas fever, as they say. If so, they simply have yet to 
learn thoroughly the nature of this peculiar disease, for it will not harm them. 
This view comes nearer a practical understanding of our rela¬ 
tion to foreign markets. Nothing is more absurd than to explain 
the execution of laws of other countries by our inbred concep¬ 
tion of American politics. In Germany especially, politics has 
not reached the point where it pollutes the laws existing for the 
prevention of infectious'diseases. True, the agrarian party is 
pleased with such restrictions, because every member of this 
party is as high a tariff man as Mr. McKinley. But to accuse 
them of conspiracy is absurd in the extreme. 
So much for an explanation. Let us now examine the reports 
from Germany. The Berlin Thierarztliche Wochensehrift, one 
of the editors of which is connected with the imperial health 
office, simply states that State Veterinarian Vollers, in Ham¬ 
burg, had reported a transfer of American cattle diseased, bear¬ 
ing SUSPICION of Texas fever. In consequence of this reluctant 
opinion Prof. Schutz, of Berlin, was dispatched, and he took 
with him some organs of the diseased cattle. After three weeks 
of investigation he declared the disease Texas fever, and as a 
result the Imperial Health Office issued the restrictions as pre¬ 
scribed by law. No fuss was made about it in any German 
journals, because such restrictions are common occurrences. 
We believe that if Dr. Salmon would have kept the matter 
in his own hands and fought it out on scientific grounds, it 
would possibly be satisfactorily settled by this date. But when 
the question was allowed to resume a political and diplomatic 
shape, a settlement may be difficult and far off. One thing sure 
to us, and that is, that the American veterinary profession has 
gained nothing by this dispute, as it should have ; but as the 
foreign veterinarians appear to be correct, we rather fear that 
our reputation as American veterinarians will be impaired for 
some time to come.—-(O. S.) 
