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8 A N IT A K Y I, KG ISL AT I < >N. 
animals to contact with diseased ones, or witli objects with which 
the latter have been in contact. The majority of these diseases 
cannot be cured when they have attacked an animal, but the 
occurrence of the majority of them can be prevented by proper 
precautions, which consist in preventing the communication of the 
sound animals, with objects bearing the contagion. Tn view of 
the immense wealtii of the United States, especially in the West, 
centered in the industry of raising and exporting animals; in 
view of the increase of contagions diseases, which is surely bring¬ 
ing a scourge on this country, and in view of the present inhar¬ 
monious and inadequate legislation in regard to these diseases, it 
behooves us to mge the necessity for immediate, prompt and 
forcible action to suppress the existing causes of disease, and to 
prevent their future spread. State laws are excellent, but 
insufficient, as they are unable to control the approach of disease 
from neighboring States which are less wise ; neither can they 
prevent animals from a State which has maintained their sound¬ 
ness by constant care, from exposure to infection while passing 
through other States to distant markets, nor can they prevent the 
passage of diseased animals across the State to other States and 
Territories. It is necessary that we should have uniform and 
general laws, rigidly enforced, which will protect all alike. This 
can only he done through the general government of the United 
States, and while costly, will prove the most economical in the 
end. While we desire laws of sanitary police, which will protect 
us against all the contagious diseases of our domestic animals, we 
urgently appeal to the general and State governments for the 
appointment of a sufficient number of competent agents with the 
funds necessary for the immediate suppression of contagious 
pleuro-pncumouia in cattle, glanders in horses, hog cholera, and 
the restriction of Texas fever to the localities where it is 
indigenous. 
Until we have other means at our disposal for the prevention 
of these diseases, we have but two lines of action to adopt—the 
absolute extermination of all animals which are affected with 
the disease, or have been so exposed that they may convey it to 
others at a longer or shorter peroid ; the absolute interdiction of 
