6 
J. LAW. 
at short distances, after millions had been expended for its ex¬ 
tinction. I dare not try your patience by introducing the ques¬ 
tion of the other contagious diseases of animals, such as glanders, 
the various forms of anthrax, milk sickness, diphtheria, actinomy¬ 
cosis, strangles, influenza, mange, and all the numerous and dan¬ 
gerous forms of animal parasitism. Suffice it to say that no one 
of these presents to us the same favorable conditions for a perfect 
suppression as does the lung plague of cattle, and for none can 
be promised the same speedy and absolutely permanent extinc 
tion. In this connection it is only just to state that Texas fever 
assumes a special importance in connection with its occasional 
Exportation to Great Britain 
in beef cattle. In this, as in the case of the lung plague, it is 
well at once to face the truth. The Texas fever has an average 
incubation or latency of one month, and even in cases communi¬ 
cated by inoculation this extends to ten days. It stands, there¬ 
fore, side by side with lung plague in the impossibility of check¬ 
ing its importation by the simple expedient of a professional 
examination at the port of embarkation. It has been the rule 
for shippers from Boston and New York to have them examined 
prior to shipment; but this has not prevented the exportation of 
twenty-six infected cargoes in the course of the present autumn. 
It is folly to expect anything like absolute protection from a pro¬ 
fessional examination without detention in the case of such a 
disease, and to advocate such a measure is merely to invite dis¬ 
comfiture and discredit. No veterinarian who would be true to 
himself and his country would advocate such an examination as 
an effectual safeguard. 
The only protection of our Northern herds and export cattle 
against the contagion of the Gulf Coast fever must be sought in 
the absolute prohibition of the movement northward of the cattle 
from infected districts, excepting in the depth of winter. This 
we must one day secure, and if it is possible to obtain from the 
present Congress a measure that will accomplish this, it will be a 
matter for profound thankfulness. But we need not close our 
eyes to the fact that the fear of such a measure on the part of 
