Hollinger Corp. pH 8.5 F 624 G4 AS opy 1 First Annual Report OF THE [Noemie State Veterinarian. aa .e advancement Oe civilization depends upon a prosperous _ Agriculture. culture can only prosper when Cee by a thriving, _ profitable animal industry. fore cattle, hogs and ee means more cotton, corn, grain ie and forage upon less acres. eae 3 1 ; © » « CL ae iy . . ‘ } \ H i = } \ F. x = Pa) . , x : , fi ( . t ‘ = 5 ~ : ‘ 2 t H 2 Y ' aes ? \ : i s S = x % bs f > 4 A * t By ; a ¢ <2 5 a4 t ‘ j « ies . ; < A ' j ‘ - \ ; ‘ - by A ye ‘ - 4 if ol fr ' : 7 4 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE VETERINARIAN Hon. Thos. G. Hudson, Commissioner of Agriculture, Atlanta, Ga. Dear Sir:—Obedient to legislative mandate I submit herewith my first annual report. The act creating this office makes it the duty of the State Veterinarian to “investigate and take proper measure for the control of contagious and infectious diseases among the domestic animals within the State, under such rules and regula- tions as may be promulgated by him and approved by the Commis- sioner of Agriculture; to assume charge of the work of tick eradica- tion, and to devote his entire time to the health and improvement of - the Live Stock industry of the State; and he shall report upon his work annually, ete.” Prior to the creation of this office (under the provisions of an Act of the Laws of 1906) I had the honor to be connected with your Department in the capacity of Chief Consulting Veterinarian; dur- ing which time I had the opportunity to acquire a fair acquaintance with the conditions and some of the infectious diseases that are met in the State of Georgia. This work, under the old law, was, of course, preliminary and very incomplete. Each investigation con- sisted of a clinical opinion and advice for the disposition of the case; in case of contagious diseases the attending Veterinarian was not even empowered to declare and enforce quarantine restrictions. The law creating the office of State Veterinarian had been pre- ceeded by an act conferring upon the Commissioner of Agriculture the powers of Live Stock Sanitary control, but as no provisions were made for the administrative officer whose duty it would be to carry the law into effect little progress was made; therefore, upon my ap- pointment I found the work before me Bekenied Tt is’ true, some systematic work had been conducted along the line of tick- eradication under the supervision Oi Wir ii Wright, Assistant Commissioner and, bearing in mind that this work was in the main preliminary, the results were all that could have been expected. With this one exception the field was unexplored, the structure of 3 Live Stock Sanitary Control remained to be organized from the foundation. | After some deliberation, yet without delay, a set of rules and regulations were drafted and their practicability given a trial in actual application under Georgia conditions before they were submit- ted to the printer. (See Bulletin No. 5, Series A.) These rules are but a plain preamble of the fundamental re- quirements in the suppression of infectious and contagious diseases, these basic principles have been found to be absolutely essential to success, 1n actual practice, wherever communicable disease have been suppressed by man’s effort. Faithfully adhered to they will be found sufficient for our present need, tho special occasions will no doubt arise that demand more drastic rules. In my review of the infectious, contagious and communicable diseases I have divided them into three groups: First :—Infectious diseases affecting animals which are also transmissible to man. Second :—Infectious diseases which affect animals specifically. Third :—Parasitic infections of animals. To avoid bulkiness this review must needs be brief. In the first group we will consider: Tuberculosis, Rabies, Glanders, Anthrax. | In the second group we will consider: Tick Fever, Hog Chol- era, Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Emphysematous Anthrax, Epizootic Spinal Meningitis, Epizootic Cerebro Spinal Meningitis. In the third group we will consider: Parasitic infestations and intoxications. . TUBERCULOSIS. Notwithstanding the fact that great publicity has been given to a campaign of suppression against this dread disease, statistics prove a steady increase in its distribution. As yet the infection of all the cattle within the State will hardly prove more than 7 per cent.; the infection being principally among the dairy herds into which the disease has been introduced by cattle from other states. A careful supervision of all cattle imported for dairy and breeding purpose will be of material benefit in preventing the increase and spread of the infection; but, if we expect to control the spread from infected herds within the State, we must adopt most stringent means to lo- + = Ss cate the diseased herds within our commonwealth and then restrict the traffic in reacting animals. It would be good business policy to brand or otherwise mark all reactors in order that any purchaser may be aware that the animal so marked, or branded, is tuberculous. To encourage breeders and dairymen to have and keep their herds free of tuberculosis it would, perhaps, be good policy to issue to those who have and maintain herds free of tuberculosis—as prov- en by an official tuberculin test—a “State Certificate” setting forth such fact. Such certificate to make it obligatory upon the owner not to introduce cattle into this herd unless they have been regularly tested with tuberculin; and to have the entire herd retested once a year in order to determine that tuberculosis is not present. In this work of eradicating tuberculosis all cities which have a regular Health Department should take an active part. Their co- operation is absolutely essential to successful supervision. Without any special funds available for the suppression and eradication of tuberculosis among cattle I have only been able to make a few investigations. These were confined to some of the larger dairy herds and in each instance we found the herd infected. The herd of — — M. in Putnam county showed three reacters out of 57 tested. The herd of — — Z. near Atlanta showed 24 re- acters out of 42 tested,—19 out of 24 milk cows proved tuberculous, two of these reacters—apparently in good health—proved tuberculous upon post mortem thus vindicating the reliability of the test. The herd — — D. of Putnam county responded with 10 reacters out of a herd of 55 head. A few years ago Prof. C. L. Willoughby conducted several tests for the Georgia Experiment Station and after a number of tests in different parts of the State gave it as his opinion that the dairy herds of the State were infected about 20 per cent; this I think is a fair es- timate. Tuberculous infection among range cattle is rather rare and I feel therefore safe in my opinion that not over 7 per cent. of all the cattle in the State are affected with tuberculosis. ; In 1909 the American Veterinary Medical Association appoint ed an International Commission to study methods of control of bo. vine tuberculosis. The results of their investigation has been pub- lished in pamphlet form and I take the liberty to reproduce their final conclusion in full. THE CONTROL OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. (Report of the International Commission of the American Veteri- nary Medical Association.) INTRODUCTION. The greatest problem confronting the live-stock industry is the increasing prevalence of tuberculosis among cattle and hogs and the necessity of adopting measures for suppressing and controlling this disease. A careful estimate made by the writer for the International Congress on Tuberculosis in 1908 showed that tuberculosis of animals exacts a toll of over $23,000,000 annually. Of even greater moment than this tremendous economic loss is the sacrifice of human life and _ the impairment of human health from tuberculosis, almost univer- sally regarded by scientific investigators to be due in some consid- erable degree to the existence of tuberculosis in animals from which milk and other foods are derived. No one who is informed on the subject can fail to realize that something should be done to check the rapid spread of tuberculosis among cattle and hogs and to control and eventually to eradicate the disease. As this disease in hogs is nearly always contracted from tu- berculous cattle, it 1s believed that if bovine tuberculosis were sup- pressed swine tuberculosis would soon disappear; hence our main at- tack must be directed against the disease in cattle. Efforts have been made for some years to combat bovine tuberculosis, and while some headway has been made in some sections and localities, in general the disease has continued to spread, and on the whole it appears that the progress of the disease has been more rapid than the progress of the work against it. The time has come when something should be done in a more definite, systematic, and practical way and on a larger scale. However difficult may be the task of controlling and eradicating tuberculosis, the problem is constantly becoming more difficult as the infection becomes more widespread. It is much easier to deal now with a disease affecting on the whole about 5 per cent of our cattle than it will be to combat it later if we permit it to spread until it affects 40 or 50 per cent, as is the case in some parts of Europe. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the American Veteri- nary Medical Association at its annual meeting at Chicago in Septem- ber, 1909, created an international commission to study methods of 6 eT eee control of bovine tuberculosis, with instructions to submit a report at the next annual meeting. The commission as first appointed was as follows: Dr. J. G. Rutherford, Hon. W. C. Edwards, Mr. J. W. Flavelle, Hon. W. D. Hoard, Dr. C. A. Hodgetts, Dr. John R. Mohler, Dr. V. A. Moore, Dr. Leonard Pearson, Dr. M. H. Reynolds, Dr. E. C. Schroeder, Mr. Louis F. Swift, and Dr. Frederick Tor- rance. The commission first met at Buffalo, N. Y., December 13 and 14, 1909, and organized by electing Dr. Rutherford as chairman and Dr. Reynolds as secretary. Owing to the death of Dr. Pearson and the inability of Mr. Swift to serve, the writer, as president of the association, appointed in their places, respectively, Dr. M. P. Ravenal and Dr. T. W. Tomlinson. Later, at the request of the commission, he also appointed Mr. J. J. Ferguson as a representa- tive of the United States packing industry and Dr. J. N. Hurty as a representative of the medical health officers of the United States. The commission comprised in its membership not only veteri- narians, but physicians and representatives of the stock-raising, meat- packing, and dairy interests—scientists, professional men, and prac- tical men of affairs—five from Canada and nine from the United States. The body was thus exceedingly well qualified to consider the subject in a broad way and from the various points of view. After four meetings of the commission and several conferences of subcommittees, and as a result of thorough consideration of the sub- ject by the members, the commission presented its report at the an- nual meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association at San Francisco in September, 1910. This report, which appears in the following pages, recommends and outlines definite plans and policies for the control of bovine tuberculosis. Besides stating 1m- portant facts about the disease, it points out the necessity for edu- cation and legislation, describes methods for handling cattle by breeders and dairymen, and proposes administrative measures to be followed by public officers. It is believed that these recommendations are practical, and that they point the way to more effective warfare against this great common plague of animals and man. A. D. MEtvin, President American Veterinary Medical Association, 1909-10. REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE CONTROL OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. To the President of the American Veterinary Medical Association : Owing to the great economic and sanitary significance of animal tuberculosis to the live-stock indutry of America and the many and varied factors which must of necessity be accounted with in formu- lating successful measures for its eradication, the American Veter- inary Medical Association, at its meeting in Chicago in September, 1909, appointed the International Commission on the Control of Bovine Tuberculosis. The commission was instructed to study the problem of tuberculosis among cattle and to report at the next meet- ing of the association upon reasonable and economically practicable. methods or systems to be recommended to both officials and live-stock owners for eradicating this great scourge of domesticated animals. It is recognized that tuberculosis is widely prevalent among cattle. and other animals, and that the frequency with which this great evil occurs 1s increasing rather than declining. As tuberculosis is one of the strictly preventable infections, there is good ground for the belief that through the formulation and enforcement of proper regu-. lations the disease may eventually be entirely suppressed. The commission has held four meetings, as follows: Buffalo, N.. Y., December 13 and 14, 1909; Detroit, Mich., March 1 and 2, 1910; Ottawa, Canada, May 19, 20, and 21, 1910; Madison, Wis., June 27 and 28, 1910; all of which were well attended, very few of the mem- bers having on any occasion been absent. The commission begs to: present as a result of its labors the following report, which, although brief, will on examination be found to comprise the principal points: essential to the promulgation of a comprehensive and practical policy, such as may reasonably be adopted by any governmental body inter-. ested in the control of bovine tuberculosis. It is quite unnecessary, in view of the extensive knowledge: already possessed by all who are familiar with the efforts which have hitherto been made to secure control of bovine tuberculosis, to dwell at any leneth upon the importance of the subject or upon the condi- tions which led to the formation of the commission. In view of the personnel of the commission as selected by the American Veterinary Medical Association, and of the fact that so- much information on the subject has been made available through the 8 work of similar bodies in other countries and the researches of scien- tific and practical men in America and elsewhere, the commission has not deemed it necessary to take any evidence either from expert wit- nesses or others. The members fully understood that the purpose which their ap- pointment was intended to serve was less the acquisition of new knowledge regarding bovine tuberculosis than the careful study of the knowledge already available and of the thoughts and opinions of those most entitled to speak with authority on the subject. The conclusions reached in this report are therefore simply the outcome of an earnest and thoughtful consideration of the various modern aspects and phases of the problem, with the object of erystal- lizing public opinion and so clearing the way for legislative action. They realized also that they could deal with fundamental principles only, and that the details of any policy which they might outline must in each case be worked out by the duly authorized and re- sponsible representatives of the community immediately concerned. They nevertheless deemed it essential to study closely the history of the various efforts hitherto made by such countries throughout the world as have attempted to legislate on the subject. This naturally led to the gradual elimination of all methods other than such as might reasonably be adopted by any community desiring, in the full light of present-day knowledge, to undertake the control of bovine tuberculosis. It was felt, in view of the prevalence of the disease, especially in some localities and among certain classes of cattle, the difficulty of providing a sufficient number of trained officials, and the large eco- nomic questions involved, to say nothing of the enormous expendi- ture, that it would be unwise, for the present at least, to discuss seriously a policy of universal compulsory testing and slaughter. Such a policy might perhaps be adopted with advantage by a small community, or one in which the disease existed to a very limited ex- tent; but speaking generally, especially in view of past experiences in this line, it was thought better to omit it entirely from the recom- mendations of the commission. 7 All other methods of dealing with bovine tuberculosis which have been recommended or tried in various communities were thoroughly discussed, with the object of discarding weak points and adopting such features as might be deemed worthy of a place in the official findings of the commission. Every phase of the subject was in this 9 way fully and freely considered, it being thought best to cover the whole ground as completely as possible before coming to a definite decision on any one point. In order to minimize still further the risk of omitting from the deliberations of the commission any phase of the question, four committees were appointed at the first meeting to deal respectively with— 1. Education and legislation. 2. Location of tuberculosis. 3. Dissemination. 4. Disposition of tuberculosis animals. The appointment of these committees proved to be of the greatest possible value in concentrating the energies of the various members on those branches on the subject with which they were most familiar, and their reports presented at subsequent meetings enabled the com- mission to reach satisfactory conclusions much more rapidly than would otherwise have been the case. As ameans of furnishing infor- mation as to the reasons for these conclusions and the manner in which they were reached, the commission would recommend that the reports of the committees should be published as an appendix to this report. si The commission, recognizing after careful study that the tuber- culin test is the fundamental factor in any policy having for its ob- ject the control of bovine tuberculosis, decided that a pronouncement to that effect should properly occupy a foremost place. Based on the information contained in the reports of its com- mittees and on such other information as was brought out in the general discussions of the commission, the following resolutions were adopted for presentation to the American Veterinary Medical Asso- ciation : RESOLUTION 1.—DISSEMINATION. As a general policy to be observed, all contact between tubercu- lous and healthy cattle and between healthy cattle and stables, cars, etc., which may contain living tubercle bacilli should be prevented. To accomplish this the following specific recommendations are made: 1. There should be no sale or exchange of animals affected with tuberculosis except for immediate slaughter or for breeding purposes under official supervision. 2. That the management of live-stock shows should give prefer- 10 ee ence to cattle known to be free from tuberculosis, either by providing special classes for such cattle or in some other practical way, and should also take every precaution to prevent contact between —_ animals and those not known to be free from disease. : 3. All live-stock shippers should take every precaution to see that _ ears furnished are thoroughly cleansed and disinfected before use. RESOLUTION 2.—TUBERCULIN TEST. 1. That tuberculin, properly used, is an accurate and reliable diagnostic agent for the detection of active tuberculosis. 2. That tuberculin may not produce a reaction under the fol- lowing conditions: (a) When the disease is in a period of incubation. (>) When the progress of the disease is arrested. (c) When the disease is extensively generalized. The last condition is relatively rare and may usually be detected by physical examination. 3. On account of the period of incubation and the fact that ar- rested cases*may sooner or later become active, all exposed animals should be retested at intervals of six months to one year. 4. That the tuberculin test should not be applied to any animal having a temperature higher than normal. 5. That any animal having given one distinct reaction to tuber- eulin should thereafter be regarded as tuberculous. 6. That the subcutaneous injection of tuberculin is the only method of using tuberculin for the detection of tuberculosis in cattle which can be recommended at the present time. 7.. That tuberculin has no injurious effect on healthy cattle. VIDENCE FROM TUBERCULIN TEST. That a positive reaction to tuberculin in any properly conducted test, official or otherwise, in any animal in any herd shall be consid- ered evidence sufficient upon which to declare the herd to be infected. RESOLUTION 4.—COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION. That this commission recommends the passage of legislation pro- viding for the compulsory notification by owners and by veterinarians 11 of the existence of tuberculosis in a herd, whether such existence be made known by detection of clinical cases or by tuberculin test. RESOLUTION 5.—LOCATION THROUGH SLAUGHTER. This commission recognizes that the discovery of tuberculosis in animals slaughtered for food purposes furnishes one of the best pos- stble means of locating the disease on the farm, and therefore rec- ommends the adoption of some system of marking, for purposes of identification, all cattle 3 years old and over, shipped for slaughter. As tuberculosis of hogs is almost invariably due to bovine infec- tion, recommendation should also be made to apply to hogs of any age shipped for slaughter. It is further recommended that the discovery of tuberculosis in animals coming under Government inspection should be used, when- ever identification is possible, as a means of locating infected herds and premises. All such cases should be reported to the proper author- ities for control action. RESOLUTION 6.—DISPOSITION OF TUBERCULOUS ANIMALS. THE COMMISSION PLAN. 1. As a general policy in the eradication of tuberculosis the sepa- ration of healthy and diseased animals and the construction of a healthy herd are recommended. In order to accomplish this the fol- lowing recommendations are made: (1) If the herd is found to be extensively infected, as shown by the tuberculin test or clinical examination, even the apparent healthy animals in it should be regarded with suspicion until they have been separated from the reacting animals for at least three months. If after. the expiration of this time they do not react to the tuberculin test, they may be considered healthy and dealt with accordingly. It is recommended that a herd extensively infected should not be treated by the method of general separation, but that the construction of a new herd from the offspring only is advisable. (2) If the herd is found by either or both of the above methods to contain a relatively small proportion of diseased animals, separa- tion of the diseased animals from the healthy animals and the con- 12 a ee? ey struction of a sound herd from the healthy animals and the offspring of both are advocated. As a working basis in carrying out these principles, we age. (a) That herds containing 50 per cent or more of diseased ani-: mals be treated as coming under section (1). (b) That herds containing under 15 per cent of discevan ani- mals be treated as coming under section (2). (c) That herds falling between these figures be graded according to the option of the owner. (d) That it shall be the prerogative of the owner to reject nee plan and have his herd dealt with by removal and slaughter of dis- eased animals, with or without compensation, according to the public policy in operation. 2. That when by any means the officials properly charged with the control of tuberculosis become aware of its existence in a herd to which a policy of slaughter and compensation can not reasonably .be applied, such herd must be dealt with by the owner, under Govern- ment supervision, on the principle of the separation of all sound ani- mals from those affected. Such separation must be effected by treat- ing the whole herd as diseased, and rearing the calves separately, either on pasteurized milk or the milk of healthy cows, or, when the number of those affected is so small as to warrant such a course,, by the application to the whole herd, from time to. time, under official supervision, of the tuberculin test, and the entire segregation of, all animals found, to react. In the event of any owner refusing or neg- _lecting to adopt either of the above methods, his entire herd to be closely quarantined and sales therefrom to be entirely prohibited. | 3. That a policy of compensation be recommended as useful and usually necessary as a temporary measure. 4. That when slaughter is necessary, in order to avoid economic loss, every effort should be made to utilize as far as possible the meat of such animals as may be found fit for food on being nite Mere : under competent inspection.. 5. The details of the commission plan will be found fully set forth in the appendix to this report. RESOLUTION 7.—PREVENTION. 1. That with the object of preventing the spread of infection per- sons buying cattle for breeding purposes or milk production should, 213 except when such purchases are made from disease-free herds which have been tested by a properly qualified person, purchase only subject to the tuberculin test. In order to assist in the proper carrying out of this suggestion, the commission recommends that official authori- ties should adopt such regulations as will prevent the entry to their respective territories of cattle for breeding purposes or milk produc- tion unless accompanied by satisfactory tuberculin test charts. 2. That all milk and milk by-products used as food should be properly pasteurized unless from cows known to be free from tubercu- losis. RESOLUTION 8—CONTROL OF TUBERCULIN TEST. That this commission recommends the passage of legislation which will prevent the sale, distribution, or use of tuberculin by any person other than those acting with the full knowledge or under the direction of official authorities. RESOLUTION 9.—EDUCATION. As a clear knowledge of the cause and character of tuberculosis among animals, the modes of dissemination, and its significance as an economic and as a public-health problem underlie an intelligent adherence to the principles that must be observed in all efforts for eradication, as well as the establishment of proper cooperation in the great work between physicians, veterinarians, live-stock owners, leg- islators and the public generally, it is recommended that a widespread campaign of education be undertaken. To accomplish this end it is recommended that, first of all, a simple pamphlet on bovine tubercu- losis be written, in which the language used shall be of such charac- ter that every person of average intelligence shall be able to read it without being mystified by technical terms or phrases. This pamph- let should be published with the indorsement of the American Veter- inary Medical Association and the special indorsement and conse- quent authority of the International Commission on Bovine Tuber- culosis Control. RESOLUTION 10.—PUBLICITY. In concluding its work, the commission desires to appeal espe- 14 " —_ aut. De ee ee i Me cially to the press—metropolitan, agricultural, and local—to join in the work of extending as much as possible among the people the conclusions here arrived at. he vital importance of the life of farm animals to the welfare of all classes of society needs no argument in its support. The aim and sole purpose which has actuated this com- mission has been to arrive at the soundest conclusions possible in the light of the best knowledge obtainable. RESOLUTION 11.—LEGISLATION. It is recommended that legislation regarding the control and eradication of tuberculosis among domestic animals be made uni- form; that the laws of the United States and Canada and other Amer- ican countries for the admission into America of animals from with- out be made stringent and as much alike as possible; and that the laws governing the interstate and interprovincial movement of cattle and that between different American countries be harmonized. The laws governing interstate and interprovincial movement of cattle should be of such character that every State and every province will be free in its eradication work from unnecessary difficulties due to the existence of the disease in other States and provinces. Legislation is especially required to prevent the various frauds which interfere with the satisfactory use of tuberculin as a diagnostic agent for tuberculosis, as well as for official supervision over all tuber- culin sold to be used by veterinarians and others. RESOLUTION 12._SANITATION. In the eradication of tuberculosis it should be kept in mind that, in addition to protecting animals against exposure to tubercle bacillh, it is desirable to make them as resistant to infection as possible. This ean be done by stabling them in clean, disinfected, and properly ven- tilated and lighted barns, giving them abundant clean water and nutritious food, a sufficient amount of daily exercise in the open air, and attending generally to those conditions which are well known to contribute to the health of animals. The daily removal of manure from stables, and water-ught floors and good drainage in stables are urgently recommended. _ Young stock, particularly, should be raised as hardy as possible and should be accustomed to liberal exercise and living in the open. 15 RESOLUTION 13.—IMMUNIZATION. That as none of the various methods for the immunization of animals against tuberculosis have passed sufficiently beyond the ex- perimental stage, the commission is unable to indorse any of these for practical use at the present time. — : RESOLUTION 14.—_ANIMAL TUBERCULOSIS AND PUBLIC HEALTH. While the members recognize that the subject with which this commission is primarily intended to deal is the control and eradica- tion of tuberculosis among animals as an economic problem, they can not feel satisfied without declaring their recognition of the fact that tuberculosis among animals is also an important public-health prob- lem. Considered as such, the eradication of tuberculosis among ani- mals should have the approval and support of all those persons who. are interested in curtailing human suffering and prolonging human life. RESOLUTION 15.—GENERAL STATEMENT. The members of this commission wish to be clearly understood that they recognize the limitations of a report necessarily based on actual and not theoretical conditions. They fully realize that in the event of the policy of which their recommendations form the frame- work being anywhere adopted even in its entirety, much greater ben- — efit will be derived, at least for some time, from its educative than from its executive features. The control, to say nothing of the eradi- cation, of bovine tuberculosis, is impossible of achievement without the hearty cooperation of all the men who are actually engaged in the cattle industry. In order to secure this cooperation, it will doubt- less be necessary in most communities to carry on an active and pro- longed educational campaign. It is apparent that in the dissemination of practical and reliable. information regarding the disease it will be possible to employ a very large variety of methods. Many of these methods, such as bulletins, lectures, and actual demonstrations of disease, having already been found valuable, will doubtless continue to be largely used. It must not be forgotten, however, that in this, as in any other educative 16 process, a measure of disciplinary control is essential to success. Needless to say, such control can be secured only by the passage of legislation which, while clear and comprehensive, must at the same time be sufficiently conservative to avoid exciting alarm or arousing antagonism on the part of owners, especially of valuable herds. The best law ever framed can be made an utter failure by stupid or inju- rious administration, while, on the other hand, the most drastic leg- islation can be rendered acceptable if enforced with reasonable tact and diplomacy. Provided, therefore, that these qualities, combined with integrity, thoroughness, and determination, are available for administrative purposes, the members of the commission are con- vineed that the enforcement of a law based on their recommendations will prove to be by far the most powerful and effective educational agency which could possibly be employed. In concluding its report the commission would suggest that the ssociation should make such provision as may be necessary to carry on the work either by continuing the commission as at present con- stituted or with such changes in the personnel as may be considered desirable. | | : Wo. C. EpWARDs. V. A. Moore. J. N. Hurry. F. ToRRANCE. E. C. SCHROEDER. W. D. Hoarp. J. J. Fereuson. — Mazyck P. RAVENEL. J. R. MoHuEr. Cuas. A. HopGerts. T. W. TomMLINsoN. J. G. RuTHERFOoRD, Chairman. J. W. FLAVELLE. M. H. Reywnotps, Secretary. It is hardly necessary to add to this brief, yet complete report offered by such unquestioned authorities on the subject. I shall only reiterate the points which to my mind are most essential, and which in my humble opinion ought to be enacted into law without delay. 1st. Since bovine tuberculosis is transmissable to man: The’ use of tuberculous cattle in dairies should be prohibited by law, and violations should be punishable by fine, or imprisonment, or both. 2nd. No cattle, with possibly the exception of steers for feed- ers and cattle shipped for immediate slaughter (such slaughter to be restricted to abbattoirs which are under proper health inspection) should be permitted to enter the State unless accompanied by a re- 17 liable tuberculin test which proves such animal or animals free of tuberculosis. . od... The distribution, sale and use of tuberculine within the State should be under the supervision of the State Veterinarian; and it should be mandatory for every owner or Veterinarian to report the results of such test within the State to said State Veterinarian. 4th. The fraudulent use of tuberculin, whether in intra-state or inter-state test, should be promptly and vigorously prosecuted ; Veterinarians guilty of such fraudulent practice should have their license to practice revoked. Sth. The slaughter, for food consumption, of cattle reacting to the tuberculin test should be restricted to slaughter houses which are under the supervision of Veterinary Inspectors. 6th. All tuberculin reacters should be branded in order that every purchaser may know what he is buying. With these points covered by law the control and eradication of bovine tuberculosis is merely a matter of enforcing the law. Some States have found a system of partial reimbursement to the owner a great benefit to the work. No doubt, a plan could be evolved in which the State and the county would share in such re- _imbursement, thus more justly placing the cost where the benefit is to be derived. HYDROPHOBIA. This Department has not heretofore concerned itself with the suppression of Hydrophobia because of the almost incomprehensible indifference on part of the people toward this infection. But the alarming spread of this horrible disease within the past few years demands that every Department of Health and Sanitation within the State should take up the work in earnest. It is no longer a question: Is rabies a specific infectious dis- ease and, if so, is it communicable to man? The large number of human sacrifices which have paid the penalty of our neglect answer those questions unequivocally. The production and free distribution of the Pasteur treatment by the State Board of Health is a move in the right direction and has been a great boon to the people. However, we can not afford to allow the dog to spread the infection without restraint, hoping to prevent fatal terminations of the infection by a course of anti-rabic treat- 18 ment. Common sense demands that we should adopt such measures of restriction as may be necessary for safety. These measures may be summed up: 1st. An adequate dog-tax; a destruction of all homeless or va- grant dogs. 2nd. The muzzling of all dogs which appear upon the street or in public places, not for 60 or 90 days—but for all time. Now, I know, this is not a popular movement and yet: I yield to no man in admiration of the dog, not even the silver-tongued statesman of Missouri—Senator Vest—who penned his classic “HKulogy to the Dog.” But, when “Man’s Friend,” the dog, by rea- son of an incurable, yet preventable disease imposes on the confi- dence and privilege of companionship bestowed upon him and during the hallucinations, which are so prominent a symptom of Rabies, infects the innocent and helpless children with a most hor- rible disease then I believe it is high time to impose such restriction upon the dog as may be necessary to secure the safety of humanity. Friendship for the dog, when placed in the balance against the safety of the human family, must certainly not be permitted to overshadow our duty to our fellowman. The restrictions previously alluded to should be enacted a law and the various county and municipal officers should be required by law to see the provisions of the Act carried into effect. _ A few statistics on the subject are here introduced to impress the need of action in this matter. *