610 
EDITORIAL. 
surprising if the public should hear of some legal action insti¬ 
tuted by parties who have suffered pecuniarily by the slaugh¬ 
ter and destruction of the diseased cattle. We believe indeed, 
that the law has already been invoked, and that in the words 
of one of our friends, “ it is certain that we shall soon witness 
one of the most interesting and expensive law suits that has 
ever been brought before a court of justice.” Yet still the 
cases of actinomycosis of last April may be considered closed, 
as respects the interests of the general public, and the question 
may be looked upon as simply one of seeking redress for 
alleged private pecuniary damage. If however, we take into 
consideration certain inquiries which have arisen in this vicin¬ 
ity, and also certain statements which we have noticed in some 
of our exchanges, it seems possible that the Peoria and Chi¬ 
cago actinomycosis cases are not likely to remain a subject of 
economic importance at home only, but on the contrary, may 
become the topic of an international diplomatic discussion of 
a somewhat serious nature, as indicated in a dispatch printed 
in one of the New York journals. This despatch is from 
Paris, under date of the 22d of November, and contains the 
statement that “ Professor Grandeau, Governmental Cattle 
Inspector, claims to have discovered a disease of cattle, trans¬ 
missible to man, which he calls actinon^cosis, and which ex¬ 
ists principally in America.” That Professor Grandeau has 
seen actinomycosis in France is not surprising, but the affir¬ 
mation that this disease exists principally in this country 
strikes us as being a statement which is open to serious objec¬ 
tions. Can it be that the gentleman is making haste to take 
advantage of the notoriety and clamor attendant upon the 
Peoria and Chicago cases ? Possibly—and especially is this 
impression of ours strengthened by his further remarks that 
“ the inspection of cattle does not exist, de facto , in America, 
and is, to say the least, illusory and inefficacious. Meats im¬ 
ported from this country [the United States] are altogether 
unwholesome and unfit for food.” All this is as easy to say 
as it is difficult to prove. Though young in its organization 
and comparatively recent in its experience, our sanitary ser¬ 
vice is not as bad as Professor Grandeau seems desirous to 
