PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 
123 
have their herds appraised at what three disinterested men swear is a fair mar¬ 
ket value will make much elfort to prove they are worth keeping, when they 
know that a majority of those who are to judge betweeu them and the State 
consider it worse than useless. 
It is asserted, and I suppose generally believed, that the disease^has no par¬ 
allel in the human or brute creation. I have said that the proposition to take 
counsel of experienced medical men hyid met with no favor with the Board. The 
nly testimony I have therefore on this point, is the opinion of one who has had 
no little experience, and in whose judgment I have that confidence which leads 
me to trust my own and the life of my family to his skill, who gave it as his 
opinion on an examination of one of the more thoroughly diseased lungs we 
have taken from any animal, that there was nothing about it that ho should not 
expect to find in an acute case of the lung fever. Let no one suppose that I 
offer this opinion thinking it of much value ; for I do uot even consider, what 
is so often and triumphantly referred to, the opinions ef Tom, Dick and Harry 
across the water, worth considering for one moment., when we can for a tithe of 
the money which has been expended by the Commissioners iu a single year, by 
properly conducted experiments, place all the questions of iuterest in relation 
to this disease, and its effects, forever beyond the need of an opinion. It is not 
mauy years since the whole medical faculty of the old world stood aghast at the 
virulence of a disease which to-day is but little feared by skilful medical men, 
either there or here. Nor is it long since he would have been set down as a sim¬ 
pleton who would venture the opinion that any one of many of the diseases not 
now classed among contagious disorders was other than purely so. If it be 
proved that pleuro-pneumonia never appeared iu this country until Chenery 
brought it from abroad, it does not follow that it is not now an epidemic. Nor 
does it follow, by any means, that because the veterinary surgeons of this coun¬ 
try have found no remedy for the disease, therefore it cannot be cured, and that, 
too, so readily as to make it the part of folly to slaughter every herd in whieh 
it appears. Certain it is to my mind that not twenty, nay, not even a hundred 
thousand dollars will drive the disease from this State if expended iu the man¬ 
ner it has heretofore been. 
Many times have I been warned against doing anything which might 
jeopardize the farming interest of this State, or the health of the people. I am 
a farmer, and what is more, one who believes that whatever affects their wel¬ 
fare is of vital importance to the Commonwealth ; nor would I say one word 
which I believe could possibly endanger the health of one of the humblest of 
our citizens. But I can but think it necessary that the whole truth in regard 
to this disease be brought to light. I do uot deem it proper to enter into an 
argument as to the best course to bo followed in relation to the disorder, but 
simply to give you the facts as they havo come before me, trusting that the 
Legislature would search out any defects that may exist in the present statutes 
bearing upon this case, and apply the remedy. Let me suggest that, if the pres¬ 
ent system of slaughter is to be continued, that the law be so amended as to 
enable the Commissioners to sell for meat such beef as they may deem perfectly 
healthy for food. 
I annex hereunto a copy of each of the orders passed by the Governor’s 
Council, intended as it would seem to be a guide in some degree for our action. 
There can be no possible doubt but that the course therein indicated could be 
