538 
JOHN M. PARKER. 
antined this year than in 1895. Iti ’95 out of 4484 animals 
quarantined, 53.4 per eent. were condemned and found dis¬ 
eased, and 32.6 per cent, had generalized tuberculosis. In 1896, 
7062 animals were quarantined ; 59 per cent, were condemned 
and found diseased, and 25.1 per cent, had generalized tuber¬ 
culosis, an increase in the number of cases of tiiberculosis and 
a considerable decrease in the cases of generalized tuberculosis 
from the previous year. This year 5300 were quarantined, 
56.9 per cent, of these were condemned because of reaction, and 
were found diseased, and only 2.7 per cent, had generalized tu¬ 
berculosis. This means simply that the bad dangerous cases 
have been got rid of to a great extent, and I believe by perfect¬ 
ing this system the conditions can be still further improved, 
and all danger to the public health from this source practically 
eliminated. It is, I know, an immense improvement over previ¬ 
ously existing conditions. 
But the work of the Board does not end here. The law 
says ^ect. 45 of Chap. 491 of 1894, as amended by Sect. 10 of 
Chap. 496 of 1895): 
“ When the board of cattle commissioners or any of its mem¬ 
bers, by an examination of a case of contagious disease among 
domestic animals, becomes satisfied that the public good re¬ 
quires it, such board of commissioners shall cause such animal 
or animals affected therewith to be securely isolated, or shall 
cause it or them to be killed without appraisal or payment, 
provided, however, that whenever any cattle condemned as af¬ 
flicted with the disease of tuberculosis are killed under the pro¬ 
visions of this section, the full value thereof at the time of 
condemnation, not exceeding the sum of sixty dollars for any 
one animal, shall be paid to the owner thereof out of the treas¬ 
ury of the Commonwealth, if such animal has been owned 
within the State six months continuously prior to its being 
killed.” 
There was nothing in this law to prevent an owner having 
his herd tested by private test, if he so desired. If the test was 
made by a regular veterinarian, the State could only accept it, 
