MASS. DOCS. COLL. 31 UMASS/AMH|JSI. 20b b OSBM 2070 6 II I liii I i ii : iji I II 1 1 WWfi I ."m Mlili |{|!|||!j||l|lli!ll!i!lllii|||| i!i iillii 1 1 mi Ii: 0:f T.HE nAi ^evCIgSIOIEES 1 1899 Ii 11 LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE NO. J_9-J_'l_7-___- DATE_3 - 1_^5.9.. souRCE___2)_lla_te__-5i.Qc.^ |V|3g i^^S This book may be kept out TWO WEEKS only, and is subject to a fine of TWO CENTS a day thereafter. It will be due on the dav indicated below. Digitized by the Internet Arciiive in 2010 with funding from Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbo1899mass2 PUBLIC DOCUMENT .... .... No. 51. an:n^ual. kepobt Board of Cattle Commissioners 1 ^ ? s Commonwealth of Massachusetts, In Accordance with Section 51 of Chapter 491 of THE Acts of 1894. January 11, 1899. BOSTON : WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 18 Post Office Square. X899. g? S KEPOKT. To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives, The Board of Cattle Commissioners do hereby present their annual report of the work done by them during the year 1898, as provided for in section 51 of chapter 491 of the Acts of the year 1894. At the beginning of the year 1898 the Legislature appro- priated $20,000 for the temporary carrying on of the work until a further appropriation could be made, and from that time until the beginning of April the work was continued on the same basis as in 1897, viz. : — First. — The supervision and direction of the work of the local inspectors appointed by the cities and towns under the provisions of chapter 491 of the Acts of 1894, and the ex- amination of all animals quarantined by them as suspected of being afflicted with a contagious disease. Second. — The examination of cattle comino; into the markets at Brighton, Watertown and Somerville from without the State for sale, and the examination and iden- tification of cattle coming from without the State upon special permit. As heretofore, under section 1 of chapter 491 of the Acts of 1894, the mayor and aldermen of cities and the select- men of towns must appoint one or more persons to be inspectors of animals and provisions. These inspectors must make regular and thorough inspections of all neat cattle, sheep and swine found within the limits of their several towns, when ordered to do so by the Board of Cattle Commissioners. Under the law they must also make inspections of any domestic animal, whenever they have knowledge or reason to believe that such animal is affected with any contagious disease : and they shall also examine at the time of slaughter all neat cattle, sheep and swine CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. slaughtered at slaughter houses licensed under the provision of this law. During the past year 457 inspectors have been appointed by the various cities and towns, and from January 1 until the middle of April 592 animals have been placed in quar- antine by them, under suspicion of having tuberculosis. The following table shows the number of animals con- demned, killed and paid for during January, February, March and a portion of April : — Number CITY OE TOWN. Paid for. Amount Paid. Abington, ........ 1 $35 00 Acton, . 2 30 00 AgaAvam, 1 25 00 Amesburj, 2 65 00 Amherst, 2 40 00 Aiidover, 4 140 00 Ashby, . 3 82 00 Athol, . 2 50 00 Barnstable, 1 20 00 Barre, . 4 76 00 Bedford, 2 30 00 Belchertown, 6 150 00 Bellingham, 1 5 00 Berlin, . 1 37 50 Beverly, 2 30 00 Billerica, 7 223 00 Blackstone, 1 35 00 Bolton, . 4 121 00 Boston, . 6 227 50 Boxborough, 4 130 00 Boxford, 9 295 00 Brimfield, 2 40 00 Brockton, 2 57 50 Brookline, 2 70 00 Canton, . 1 23 00 Carlisle, 3 90 00 Charlton, 7 157 00 Chelmsford, 16 468 00 Chicopee, 1 30 00 Concord, 9 233 00 Conway, 9 195 50 Danvers, 2 62 50 Dedham, 9 262 50 Deerlield, 3 55 00 Dighton, 1 20 00 Dover, . 3 110 00 Dracut, „ 1 28 00 Dunstable, 1 7 00 East Bridgewater, 3 95 00 Easton, . 4 155 00 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUxMENT — No. 51. CITY OK TOWN. Number Paid for. Amount Paid. Enfield, . Foxborougli, . Framingliam, Franklin, Freetown, Gardner, Gill, Grafton, Granby, Greenfield, . Greenwich, . Groton, . Hadley, . Hamilton, Hardwick, Harvard, Hatfield, Haverhill, Hinsdale, Hopkinton, . Hudson, Hyde Park, . Ipswich, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lenox, , Leominster, . Leyden, Lincoln, Littleton, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Lunenburg, . Lynn, . Mansfield, Mattapoisett, ]\Iaynard, Medfield, Mendon, Millbury, Millis, . JNlilton, . Monson, Natick, . Xew Bedford, New Braintree, Newton, Norfolk, North Andover, . North Attleborough, North Brookfield, . North Reading, . Northampton, Northborough, Norwell, 5 1 1 2 1 8 14 1 4 1 5 1 1 9 7 2 2 3 8 1 2 10 3 1 1 3 1 3 2 2 2 3 1 4 1 1 2 8 2 1 5 8 1 1 $15 00 30 00 45 00 150 00 12 50 177 00 207 00 95 00 238 00 138 60 20 00 47 50 60 00 35 00 175 00 452 02 37 50 115 50 15 00 138 00 15 00 50 00 55 00 165 50 113 00 225 00 33 00 49 00 47 50 236 00 30 00 55 00 286 50 88 00 12 00 15 00 102 50 27 50 72 50 40 00 60 00 37 50 74 50 27 50 170 00 20 00 10 00 35 00 204 50 35 00 22 50 130 00 222 50 20 00 25 00 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. CITY OR TOWN. Number Paid for. Amount Paid. Norwood, 1 112 50 Oakham, 3 115 00 Orange, 3 92 00 Palmer, 1 20 00 Paxton, . 1 18 00 Peabody, 1 18 00 Pepperell, 2 62 00 Petersham, . 1 19 00 Phillipston, 2 17 50 Prescott, 3 52 50 Princeton, 4 85 00 Randolph, 2 47 50 Reading, 6 130 00 Rehoboth, 4 55 00 Rockland, 3 95 00 Rowley, 1 12 00 Royalston, 3 75 00 Rutland, 5 110 50 Salem, . 1 13 00 Salisbury, 2 53 00 Sandisfield, 2 77 00 Saugus, 1 25 00 Sharon, . 1 40 00 Shelburne, 2 60 00 Sherborn, 3 75 00 Shirley, 2 34 00 Shrewsbury, 1 17 00 Southboroug] 1, 1 32 00 Spencer, 1 27 00 Springfield, 2 40 00 Sterling, 11 325 50 Sturbridge, 2 33 00 Sudbury, 1 45 00 Sutton, . 2 50 00 Templeton, 1 40 00 Tewksbury, 4 87 00 Townsend, 2 50 00 Tyngsboroug h, : 2 50 00 Uxbridge, 2 47 00 Walpole, 1 37 50 Waltham, 4 103 00 Ware, . 6 149 50 Warren, 3 61 50 Warwick, 1 25 00 Watertown, „ 4 122 00 Wayland, . 2 •30 00 West Bridge water. 13 490 00 West Brookfield, . 2 55 00 West Newbury (balanc West Springfield, e on claim). - 1 00 1 40 00 West Stockbridge, 1 30 00 Westborough, 10 292 50 Westford, 8 198 00 Westhampton, 1 20 00 Westminster, ..... 8 165 00 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. CITY OK TOWN. Number Paid for. Amount Paid. Weston, Westport, Whately, Wilbrabam, . Williamsbm-g, Wilmington, Woburn, Worcester, . Worthington, • 3 3 5 1 1 3 2 13 6 $55 00 80 50 151 50 7 50 22 50 108 50 35 00 304 00 172 50 Totals, . 518 $14,025 62 The above table includes the amount paid this year for 227 animals which were condemned and killed last year, the warrants for which were in process of settlement at date of last report. This table, however, does not include 6 animals which have been condemned this year, for which claims have not been approved. The financial statement is as follows : — Paid for cattle condemned, killed and found tuberculous, 506 head, average price $27.13, . . . . for cattle condemned, killed and no lesions found, 12 head, average price $24.45, .... for quarantine exj^enses, for killing and burial expenses, for arbitration expenses, Total for 518 head, average cost per head Paid for salaries of commmissioners (to Mayl), for salaries of agents (to May 1), for salaries of clerks and stenogra- phers, for expenses of commissioners (to Mayl), for expenses of agents (to May 1) , . for expenses of office, : for expenses of laboratory and ex- perimental work, .... for expenses of quarantine stations (to Mayl), for expenses of glanders (killing and burial), Total payments, $13,732 12 293 50 70 70 77 96 2 00 $14,176 28 $2,875 00 3,061 21 2,206 16 1,458 24 2,092 36 913 57 563 10 1,325 55 87 60 14,582 79 ^28,759 07 8 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. Of the above amount, the sum of $9,296.67 was for pay- ment of claims and accounts of 1897. Cash received and turned over to State Treasurer : — For hides and carcasses, $625 58 For ear tags, 532 46 For use of telephone, 1 00 Total, . ■ . . . $1,159 04 The amount due and unpaid at the time of making this report includes bill of Dr. L. Frothingham for micro- scopic examinations and tests for glanders, rabies, etc., from May 4 to December 15, $140 75 J. W. Hitchings, services and expenses at quarantine sta- tions from June 28 to December 15, ... . 99 50 A. D. Phelps, services and expenses at quarantine stations from July 4 to December 15, 70 46 Chas. H. Perry, examination of glanders cases and auction sale stables from May 7 to December 15, . . . 83 66 Office expenses, clerks and stenographers, ... 61 32 Total, $455 69 The salaries of the commissioners and the amounts ex- pended by them for travelling expenses, etc., remain unpaid, amounting to . $4,128 73 Six animals have been condemned and killed for which no claims have been filed. On May 14, no more money having been appropriated by the Legislature, the Board consulted the Attorney-General's office as to their duties in the matter. As a result, the fol- lowing circular letter was sent to each local inspector, for the purpose of putting a stop to the quarantining of animals by them : — Boston, May 16, 1898. Dear Sir : — We quote below an opinion from the Attorney- General's office, relative to animals suffering with tuberculosis : — No appropriation having been made for carrying out the provisions of the law relating to contagious diseases among domestic animals, the Cattle Commissioners are not obliged to do anything which the law commands them to do ; but a peculiar state of facts exists, to wit, that an inspector appointed by the mayor and aldermen of a city or select- men of a town, and paid by the city or town, is obliged to quarantine any domestic animal, if he suspects it is afflicted with a contagious dis- ease, and that animal has to remain in quarantine until released by the 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 9 board of health of the city or town by which he is confined or by the Board of Cattle Commissioners, and the expense after ten days is to be borne by the Commonwealth. No money having been appropriated, the Commonwealth could not bear that expense. But it is unnecessary to discuss the complication in which the law may land the inspectors. Having no funds, the Cattle Commissioners are thereby excused from further sendee. To make their position clear to the inspectors and boards of health throughout the Commonwealth, however, it seems to me that they should notify each board of health and each inspector that, no appropriation having been made for them, they will not be respon- sible for anything that the inspectors or boards of health may do. They should also notify the inspectors and boards of health that, so far as they, the commissioners, are concerned, they release all cattle from quarantine. If the boards of health and inspectors then retain the cattle in quarantine, they do so at their own peril. The above refers only to suspected cases of tuberculosis, as the statute provides for compensation for such animals ; but it does not mean that the inspection of slaughter houses is to be discontinued, or that other suspected cases of contagious diseases shall not be reported to this Board. Per order Massachusetts Cattle Commission, Austin Peters, Chairman. During the month of June the Legislature having adjourned without having made any further appropriation, the chairman was instructed to find out what duties were expected of the commissioners ; consequently, after consultation with His Excellency the Governor, the following letter was sent to the Attorney-General : — Boston, June 25, 1898. Hon. HosEA M. Knowlton, Attorney -General, State House, Boston. Sir : — The Legislature having adjourned after failing to make a sufficient appropriation for the use of the Cattle Commission, and at the same time not having repealed the law as relating to contagious diseases among animals, I write to ask you for an opinion as to whether the Cattle Commissioners shall attempt to perform their duty during the rest of the year, or any portion of their duty which would require no expenditure of money further than the expense of the commissioners' compensation and their actual travelling expenses. The only animals which the law contemplates paying owners for are cattle condemned as afflicted with the disease of tuberculosis, and then only cattle that have been owned within the State sis months. 10 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. Horses suffering with glanders the law says must be killed, but the owner is not entitled to compensation unless the animal is found healthy on post-mortem. In addition to glanders and tuber- culosis, the diseases which we may meet with are outbreaks of rabies and hog cholera; and possibly Texas fever, during the summer months, might be imported into the State, although the danger of this is slight. The Board of Cattle Commissioners has for the last three or four years required all neat cattle brought into the State, over six months old, unless for immediate slaughter, to be tested with tuberculin. This requires the granting of permits from this office for people who wish to bring in cattle from without the State ; also it is necessary that some member shall be at Somerville, Watertown and Brighton two or three days during the week, while markets are being held there. The testing of these cattle and requiring people to have permits to bring cattle into the State is not a matter of general law, but it is one of the rules and regu- lations of the Board of Cattle Commissioners. The act providing for the compensation of the Cattle Commis- sioners is chapter 378 of the Acts of 1885, which reads: "The compensation of such commissioners shall not exceed five dollars a day for actual service, in addition to their travelling expenses necessarily incurred." It further says that: "The Board of Cattle Commissioners, appointed under chapter 378 of the Acts of 1885, shall perform the duties previously performed by the Board of Cattle Commissioners which existed until the end of September, 1885." I have not looked up the laws under which the Board was appointed prior to Oct. 1, 1885, or their duties prior to that time. The Legislature this year has passed a bill appropriating $10,000 to reimburse towns, whose valuation is less than two and one-half million dollars, for one-half the amount of expense incurred in compensating inspectors of animals and provisions. The present Legislature has also passed an act, approved May 23, 1898, saying that the work of preventing the spread of con- tagious diseases among domestic animals shall be performed, and the appropriation therefor be expended, by local inspectors acting under the direction of the Cattle Commissioners as far as possible. Section 2 of this same act provides that the Board of Cattle Commissioners may issue rules and regulations for the guidance of inspectors of animals and provisions in the inspection of meat. The Legislature also appropriated $20,000 for the current ex- penses of the Cattle Commission until such time as they decided 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 11 whether to make a further appropriation or not. The House ways and means committee reported a bill making a further appropria- tion of $65,000 the end of April, which was defeated. As we have but very little of the $20,000 left, if the members of the commission sent in their bills for services that they have already rendered, there would be a deficit now. I would like to know whether the commission should cease to perform its duties and lock up its office altogether, or whether it should remain organized, keep its office open here and do what it can. I would be very much obliged for an early reply, as I wish to see the Governor in relation to the matter Monday morning, and ascertain his views on whether we shall attempt to keep our work up or not. Very respectfully, Austin Peters, Chairman. The Attorney-General's reply was as follows : — Boston, July 2, 1898. Austin Peters, Chairman. Dear Sir : — Your letter of the 25th ult. calls attention to the fact that no appropriation for the expenses of your commission has been made by the present Legislature, and requires the opinion of the Attorney-General upon the question "whether, in view of that fact, the commission should cease to perform its duties and lock up its office altogether or whether it should remain organized, keep its office open and do what it can." With one or two exceptions, not necessary now to consider, no money can be paid from the treasury of the Commonwealth to any person whatsoever without a specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature. The officers of government hold their posi- tions in view of the general statutes relating thereto, which fix their duties and establish their salaries. Such general laws, however, do not of themselves authorize the payment of the salaries so established, or of the incidental and necessary ex- penses incurred in the discharge of the duties of such officers. For these an appropriation must annually be made by the Legislature. This principle extends throughout every depart- ment of State government. It is in recognition of the funda- mental principle that the amount of expenditure for govern- mental purposes, and the consequent tax levy therefor, is, and in a republican form of government necessarily must be, within the immediate and direct control of the representatives of the people. Even judgments of the courts in civil proceedings against the n CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. Commonwealth cannot be paid without a special appropriation therefor. (Pub. Sts., c. 195, § 4.) It is, moreover, expressly provided by Pub. Sts., c. 16, § 37, that: "No public officer shall make purchases or incur liabilities in the name of the Commonwealth for a larger amount than that which has been appropriated by law for the service or object for which such purchases have been made or liabilities incurred ; and the Commonwealth shall be subject to no responsibility for the acts of its servants and officers beyond the several amounts duly appropriated by law." The Legislature having deliberately and repeatedly refused to make further appropriation for the conduct of the business of your commission, you are thereby relieved from the performance of such of the statutory duties devolved upon you which involve the incurring of liability to be paid by the Commonwealth. By the positive provisions of the statute above quoted, you have no right to do any acts whatsoever which call for the expenditure of the money of the Commonwealth. The general statutes appli- cable to your commission imposing duties upon your Board are to be construed in connection with and are limited by the statute I have quoted. For example, it is made your duty to cause horses affiicted with glanders to be killed. In so far as this duty may require the expenditure of money, you have no right, in view of the action of the Legislature, to perform it; and the failure of the Legislature to furnish money for the purpose is to be regarded by you as abrogating any duty imposed upon you in that respect. Although by general laws you have been made the agents- of the Commonwealth to do certain acts, your agency has been by implication revoked by the failure of the Legislature to furnish you with money for that purpose. The foregoing considerations apply to such portion of your duties as involve the expenditure of money. The failure, how- ever, to make an appropriation does not repeal the law estab- lishing your Board and its duties, except as hereinbefore stated, nor that which fixes your compensation. You are still sworn officers of the Commonwealth, duly constituted, charged with the performance of the duties thereof, so far as the same can be performed without the expenditure of money or the incurring of liability on behalf of the Commonwealth, and entitled to the compensation fixed by law for your services. No appropria- tion having been made you cannot at present receive your salary. Your claim, like all other claims against the Commonwealth, depends for its payment upon legislative appropriation, and you have no other security that it will be paid than your reliance upon 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 13 the sense of justice of the General Court. As I have already intimated, no officer and no creditor of the Commonwealth stands upon a better title. With the exception of the G-overuor and the justices of the supreme judicial court, no officer of the Common- wealth, however elected or appointed, can receive the compen- sation fixed by law for his office until the amount has been appropriated by the Legislature. Nor can any person having a claim against the Commonwealth, however just, enforce its pay- ment otherwise than by the grace of the General Court. The failure of the Legislature to make appropriation for your work does not require you to abdicate your offices nor to give up the performance of your duties, excepting in the cases where liability in behalf of the Commonwealth may be incurred. On the contrary, it is the duty of your commission to continue to hold their offices, and to perform the duties thereof, so far as may be, with the expectation that at some future time the Legislature will authorize payment therefor. If you are not willing to continue in office under these conditions, it is your duty to resign. Yours very truly, Hose A M. Knowlton, Attorney-General. On receipt of this reply a meeting of the Board was held, when it was decided to keep up the quarantine on out-of- State cattle, and, as instructed \>j the Attorney-General, to continue the work of the Board except in so far as it related to the condemnation of animals affected with bovine tuber- culosis. During the remainder of the year, notwithstanding the instructions that had been sent out by the commissioners, 83 animals have been placed in quarantine by the inspectors as being tuberculous ; in every case these animals have been immediately released. The commissioners have also knowl- edge of a number of animals that have been kept in confine- ment by their owners, in the expectation that compensation would be granted another year. During 1897 an effort was made to impress on the owners of cattle the necessity for thorough disinfection and cleanli- ness in the barns ; and, believing in the importance of this measure, the following circular letter was drawn up for dis- tribution, and sent to persons who had received compensa- tion from the State ; — 14 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. Boston, Oct. 18, 1898. Dear Sir : — In view of the fact that you have had tuberculous animals in your herd, and your barn in consequence having be- come an infected barn, and in view of the difficulty of thoroughly disinfecting premises that have once been infected by tuberculous cattle, the Board of Cattle Commissioners would advise that you should again thoroughly cleanse, disinfect and whitewash your premises, as directed last year. In this way the possibility of danger from the presence of any infectious material that may have been overlooked, or that may have been brought into the barn since last disinfected, will be much reduced. The Board further desires to impress on all owners of cattle, that to secure the best results the Board should have the hearty co-operation and assistance of the individual owners ; and that assistance can best be given by seeing to it that not only must the premises previously occupied by diseased cattle be thoroughly and frequently cleansed and disinfected, but (as suggested in the annual report, published January, 1898) it is always of the great- est importance, whether tuberculosis has existed in the herd or otherwise, that pains be taken to improve the light, drainage and ventilation pi all barns, and to allow only animals known to be healthy to mix with the balance of the herd already in the barn ; in this way the gains made during the last few years will be main- tained, and gradually a better condition of affairs will result. Austin Peters, Chairman, John M. Parker, Secretary, Maurice O'Connell, Leander F. Herrick, Charles A. Dennen, Board of Cattle Commissioners. Incidentally the great value of insisting on the cleaning and disinfection of barns is shown in another direction by a statement made by the Boston milk contractors, that less milk had been spoiled and returned to them during the past year than ever before ; this is attributable in part at least to the greater cleanliness in the barns. The law further provides that inspectors must be present at all licensed slaughter houses or establishments upon the day or days designated for slaughter (section 20, chapter 491 of the Acts of 1894, as amended by section 6, chapter 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 15 496 of the Acts of 1895) ; and also that " Every inspector shall keep a record of all inspections made by him and his doings thereon, and shall make regular returns of all such inspections to the Board of Cattle Commissioners (section 5, chapter 491, of the Acts of 1894). Under this provision the inspectors of various towns and cities have reported the following work : — Inspected at licensed slaughter houses at time of slaughter : — Cattle (including calves), . . . 120,416 Sheep, 388,933 Swine, 1,411,304 Total, ...... 1,920,653 Inspected at time of slaughter, under section 21 : — Cattle (including calves), . . 1,586 Sheep, 113 Swine, ...... 4,679 Total, 6,378 Total reported inspections at time of slaughter, . . 1,927,031 Animals destroyed as tuberculous : — Cattle, 241 Sheep, . . . . . . . . . . - Swine, 65 Condemned for other causes : — Cattle, 2 Calves imder four weeks old, 71 Sheep, - Swine, hog cholera, 9 Number of towns reporting licensed slaughter houses, 72 Number of licensed slaughter houses reported, . 183 It may be of interest to notice that the change in the law relating to meat inspection, recommended by the Cattle Commission under section 2 of chapter 451 of the Acts of 1898, gave the Board of Cattle Commissioners power to "make and issue rules and regulations for the guidance of inspectors of animals and provisions, in the inspection of meat, which shall conform to the rules and regulations of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry for the inspection of meat for export and interstate commerce." 16 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. In accordance with that law, on July 14, 1898, the following rules and regulations were adopted, and ordered printed for distribution : — Boston, July 14, 1898. To Inspectors of Animals and Provisions. Under section 2 of chapter 451 of the Acts of 1898, the Board of Cattle Commissioners has been given power to "make and issue rules and regulations for the guidance of inspectors of animals and provisions, in the inspection of meat, which shall conform to the rules and regulations of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry for the inspection of meat for export and interstate commerce." In pursuance of the foregoing, the Board of Cattle Com- missioners do hereby issue the following rules and regulations for the guidance of inspectors of animals and provisions, in their examination, at the time of slaughter, of all neat cattle, sheep and swine : — 1. The carcasses of all animals, found on examination to be affected with any of the following, are to be condemned : — (1) Hog cholera. (2) Swine plague. (3) Charbon or anthrax. (4) Rabies. (5) Malignant epizootic catarrh. (6) Pyaemia and septicaemia. (7) Mange or scab, in advanced stages. (8) Advanced stages of actinomycosis or lumpy jaw. (9) Inflammation of lungs, intestines or peritoneum. (10) Texas fever. (11) Extensive or generalized tuberculosis. (12) Any disease or injury causing elevation of temperature, or affecting the system of an animal to a degree which would make the flesh unflt for human food. 2. When any carcass, on examination by the inspector, is found to be unfit for food, it shall be rendered or buried, or otherwise made unsalable for human food. Austin Peters, Chairman^ John M. Parker, Secretary, Maurice O'Connell, Leander F. Herrick, Charles A. Dennen, Board of Cattle Commissioners. Adopted July 14, 1898, 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 17 The second portion of the work, the examination of all cattle coming from without the State for sale in the markets of Brighton, Watertown and Somerville, has been continued through the year, thus preventing the distribution of un- tested animals, and providing a market where those desiring so to do have been enabled to secure tested stock. Receipts of stock at these three stations during the year to December 15 have been as follows : — At Brighton. Maine cattle, 10,907 New Hampshire cattle, 1,356 Massachusetts cattle, 10,042 New York cattle, ....... 487 Western cattle, 44,906 Sheep, 43,961 Swine, 732,302 Calves, 30,264 Horses, 4,125 Cattle released on certificates, 11,410 Cattle tested, 105 Cattle released after test, 104 Cattle condemned after test, 1 At Watertoivn. Vermont cattle, 6,908 New Hampshire cattle, 6,974 New York cattle. 143 Massachusetts cattle, 1,226 Western cattle, . . 112,248 Sheep, . . 450,989 Swine, . 735,399 Calves, . 46,283 Horses, . 18,975 Cattle released on certificates, . 7,177 Cattle tested, .... 42 Cattle released after test, . 41 Cattle condemned aftei ' test, 1 18 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. At Somerville. Maine cattle, 572 New Hampshire cattle, 3,120 Vermont cattle, . 1,566 Massachusetts cattle, . 3,261 New York cattle. 540 Western cattle, . 70,405 Sheep, 367,352 Swine, 18,173 Calves, .... 35,261 Cattle released on certificate. 799 Cattle tested, 115 Cattle released after test, . 112 Cattle condemned after test, 3 Total received at the Three Stations. Cattle, 273,661 Sheep, . 862,302 Swine, . 1,485,874 Calves, .... 111,808 Released on certificates, 19,386 Tested at stations. 262 Released after test. 257 Condemned after test, . 5 Besides these, 7,597 cattle have been admitted from with- out the State to other points than these stations, and have been tested either before or after arrival. It would seem to be almost unnecessary at this time to attempt to show the great importance of exercising some State supervision over bovine tuberculosis. Most govern- ments throughout the world are taking steps to place this disease under State control. Great Britain has spent a lot of money, first on the " Roj^al Commission on Tuberculosis," when investigations and experiments were carried on under the direction of the commission for nearly three years ; and, later, on their making their report, a second Royal Commis- sion was appointed, to inquire into the administrative pro- 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 19 cedures for controlling the danger to man through the U8e of meat and milk of tuberculous animals. This second com- mission was appointed in July, 1896, and after nearly two years' work it made its report on the thirty-first day of March, 1898. In this report the commission confined itself mainly to two branches, "namely, the prevention of the infection of hu- man beings, from (a) the consumption of meat afi*ected with tuberculosis and (6) from the consumption of milk drawn from tuberculous cows." They refer to the report of the Royal Commission on Tu- berculosis, which reported in 1895, to the efiect that : — Tuberculous disease in bovines is identical with that in the hu- man subject, and that it is communicable from one to the other, though the manifestations of the disease differ in some respects in the human from that in the lower animals. Then they continue : — We have also considered their finding, that " any person who takes tuberculous matter into the body as food incurs risk of ac- quiring tuberculous disease." . . . Nothing that has come before us in the course of our inquiry has raised any doubt in our minds as to the accuracy of this opinion. The reference in the report to tuberculin is an important one. It is more especially interesting, as it corresponds so closely to the experience of the Massachusetts Board in this direction. In section 13 they say : — We have felt that the value of our report, and any recommen- dations which we can base upon it, must depend, in very large measure, on the degree in which accumulated experience has jus- tified confidence in the tuberculin test, not only among veterinary experts, but among stock owners and persons engaged in the milk trade. We have therefore directed very special and searching inquiry into this matter. Only one witness, a Yorkshire dairy farmer, expressed any doubts on the matter, and even he, while thinking that it "was not altogether reliable," believed it to be "fairly accurate." In Berlin, in Copenhagen, in London and other places where the action of tuberculin has been made a spe- 20 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. cial subject of study, we found a general consensus of opinion as to the efficacy of the test. Perhaps we may best render our own impressions by quoting the evidence of Professor McFadyean, given before us, showing that all doubt on the subject had been removed from his mind since his experiments were carried out at the request of the former commission: "No person, whether he were a layman or a veterinary surgeon, when summoned to look at an animal suspected of showing symptoms of tuberculosis, could give an opinion that was really of much value in the great majority of cases unless he used tuberculin. We have all recog- nized that within recent years. If the animal is in the very last stage of the disease, one may make a diagnosis that has little chance of error, but in the great majority of cases it is only a guess. With tuberculin it is practically a certainty. I should like, if I am not going too fully into that, to give evidence regard- ing the reliability of tuberculin as a test. I made a number of experiments on that, and reported them to the previous Royal Commission. These, however, were not entirely favorable to the use of tuberculin, because in a considerable proportion of cases the indication afforded by the tuberculin was wrong. But, since that, experiments and observations made in somewhat different circum- stances have yielded entirely different results, and I have the most implicit faith in tuberculin as a test for tuberculosis, when it is used on animals standing in their own premises, and undis- turbed. It is not a reliable test when used on cattle in a market, or on any cattle that have been shipped, or trained, or otherwise excited. That has been found out since I made my report. Other observers have had similar results under similar circum- stances. Unfortunately, the Royal Commission set apart a very small sum to test this question of diagnosis ; I think it was £100. Tuberculin was only newly introduced then, and I could not get anybody who would submit his cows to the test. It was only through the kindness of Professor Brown, who allowed me to use the test on animals condemned under the pleuro-pneumonia slaughter order, that I was able to make the test. I got these animals in slaughter houses, and, after they had been trained, or otherwise brought there, tested them. Then they were killed next day, and a considerable proportion of errors were found. But since that, using it on animals in their own premises, I have found that it is practically infalliljle. I have notes here of one particular case that I might put in, where in a dairy twenty-live animals in all were tested, and afterwards they were all slaugh- tered. There was only one animal that did not re;i.ct, and it was the only animal not tuberculous when they Avcre killed." We en- 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 21 tirely accept these conclusions, and entertain no doubt as to the value of tuberculin, provided the test is applied by a competent veterinary surgeon, and that the tuberculin is of a trustworthy quality. With regard to the prevalence of tuberculosis, they quote the returns from slaughter houses in Leipzig, where there is careful inspection of all animals slaughtered. In 1895 the records are as follows : — KIND OF ANIMAL. Number Slaughtered. Number Tuberculous. Per Cent. Oxen, Heifers, Cows, Bulls, 8,454 1,071 9,303 4,090 2,379 217 4,048 975 28.14 20.85 43.51 23.83 Totals, 22,918 7,619 33.24 As showing how much more prevalent the disease is in some districts than others, they refer to a test of a herd of 90 cows in Cheshire, resulting in 70 reactions, all but 20 suffering from tubercular disease (77 per cent.). "Of six herds in the same neighborhood, 63 per cent, were found affected. On the other hand, a herd of 100 Jerseys in Sus- sex was tested without obtaining a single reaction." With regard to meat inspection they refer to different methods in different parts of the country, and then they say: — The question then arises, Has such a stage of experience and knowledge been attained, as to the nature of tuberculosis and the effect of tuberculous meat upon the human consumer, as to enable a uniform standard to be prescribed for the guidance of meat inspectors? We believe that such a stage has been attained. Assuming that seizure of meat should be strictly confined to such as is dangerous to human health, we entertain no doubt that in certain places a great deal of meat is seized which is perfectly safe and wholesome food. When, some years ago, tuberculosis in human beings and other animals was first proved to be interchangeable, we think that an exaggerated view was taken of the extent of the danger arising 22 CATTLE COMMISSIOKEBS. [Jan. from meat, and that this view is still acted upon in certain places. Undoubtedly we are not prepared to recommend that indiscriminate traffic in tuberculous meat should be permitted, or that inspection should be more lax than it is at present. On the contrary, we strongly urge that inspection should not only be more general and systematic, but that all inspectors should be qualified by special training. We hold, however, that it should be conducted on better-defined principles, and that some limit should be observed in the latitude permitted to medical or veterinary officers in fixing independent standards of soundness in different places. In making suggestions, they say they kept in mind the remarkable returns of the rigid but discriminating inspection in 29 towns in Saxony in 1895. Meat inspectors in these towns were all qualified veterinary surgeons. Tuberculosis was found to exist in 22,758 carcasses (being 27.48 per cent, of the whole number slaughtered). The whole of them, according to the practice of some authorities, would have been confiscated and destroyed without compensation ; but in Saxony they were dealt with as follows : of the total number of 22,758 carcasses showing tuberculous lesions, 21,062, or 91^ per cent., were passed as fit for food ; 1,256, or about 5|^ per cent., were disposed of as inferior meat, at a fixed cheap rate ; the remainder, 440 carcasses, or 2 per cent., were condemned and destroyed. With regard to public slaughter houses they say : — It is scarcely necessary to point out how greatly the exclusive use of public slaughter houses contributes to efficiency and uni- formity of inspection. Naturally those who have vested interests in private slaughter houses object to interference with their property. But instances might be given in which these objectious have been satisfactorily overcome. The municipality of Glasgow, for example, erected public slaughter houses more than forty years ago, before they had obtained power to suppress the private establishments. They admitted owners of these estabhshments to the use of the public slaughter houses, compensating them for the closing of their premises by charging them lighter dues than others who had lost nothing. There was no dissatisfaction, and the butchers now express a strong preference for the public slaughter houses over the old system. So long as private slaughter houses are permitted to exist, so long butchers, from use and wont, will continue to use them, and so long must inspection be 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Ho. 51. 23 carried on under conditions incompatible with efficiency, besides other disadvantages and risks to health which lie beyond the scope of our reference. With regard to the milk supply they report : — Whatever degree of danger may be incurred by the consumption of the flesh of tuberculous animals (and we have already stated our belief that the tendency in this country has been rather to ex- aggerate than to underrate it) , there can be little doubt that the corresponding danger in respect to milk supply is a far greater one. Then they say further : — It has been proved to our satisfaction, from the returns of medical officers of health and meat inspectors, that tuberculosis prevails to a larger extent among dairy stock than in any other class of animal. Considerable difference of opinion exists among experts as to the extent to which a cow may be affected with tuberculosis without rendering her milk dangerous. It was not proved to our satisfaction that tubercle bacilli had ever been detected in milk, unless drawn from a cow with tuberculosis of the mammary gland. In that case the disease generally, but not always, manifests itself by external signs, and the udder is suspected to be tuberculous. It is obvious, we think, that milk drawn from such a source ought to render him who exposes it for sale liable to heavy penalties. But there is no power at present to prevent such milk being sold. Professor McFadyean told us that, in a sample of milk from a diseased udder submitted to him for diagnosis, he had no difficulty in detecting tubercle bacilli ; yet the milk from that cow continued to be sent in for sale in a neighboring city. Unfortunately, tuberculosis of the udder can rarely be differentiated from other forms of udder disease by the ordinary stock owner or dairyman, and hence all udder diseases should be forthwith notified to the local authority. The opinion quoted by the first Commission on Tuber- culosis (1894) is then recalled to the effect that : — "The spread of tubercle in the udder" is apt to proceed with rapidity, that it may be manifested aud become distinctly de- veloped " between fortnightly inspections carried on along with a veterinary surgeon," and that " the very absence of any definite sign in the earlier stage is one of the greatest dangers of this condition." And, having regard to these circumstances, the U CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. commission also report that both Dr. Martin and Dr. Woodhead, who carried out the experimental researches in this matter, " insist that no tuberculous animal of any kind should be allowed to remain in a dairy." We concur generally in the views expressed, but, having regard to the extent to which tuberculosis exists among milch cows, and to the absence of evidence that danger of conveying tuberculosis arose from the use of milk as a food apart from the existence of tubercular disease of the udder, we are of opinion that direct action for the elimination of all tuberculous cows from dairies should proceed tentatively. There are, however, directions in which action should be taken at once. These are : (1) systematic inspection of the cows in dairies and cow sheds by the officers of the local sanitary authorities within whose district the premises are situated ; (2) inspection when desired of the cows in any dairy or cow shed, wherever situated, by the authorized officers of local authorities within whose districts milk from the premises in ques- tion is supplied; (3) power for a medical officer of health to suspend the supply of milk from any suspected cow for a limited period pending veterinary inspection ; (4) power to prohibit the sale of milk from any cow certified by a veterinary surgeon to be suffering from such disease of the udder as in his opinion renders the animal unfit for the supply of milk, or exhibiting clinical symptoms of tuberculosis; (5) the provision of a penalty for supplying milk for sale from any cow having obvious udder disease, without the possession b}' the owner of a certificate to the effect that such disease is not tubercular. In considering the elimination of bovine tuberculosis, they discuss fully Bang's method of handling this disease. Tuber- culin, he believes, gives trustworthy results in over 90 per cent, of the animals tested, and in the great majority of those which react the test reveals only latent tuberculosis. Shortly stated, Bang's method is as follows : he separates the sound from the reacting animals, feeding the calves born, from the first day of life, on boiled milk, submitting once or twice a year the healthy animals to a fresh test, placing such as react on the further side of the partition, and purchasing only animals that have stood the tuberculin test. In this way a healthy herd may take the place of one that had been markedly diseased. The milk of reacting animals is used in the dairy. Of course cows showing physical evidence of disease arc destroyed. 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 25 The following table, furnished by Bang, shows the number of reacting animals in Denmark : Number of Sound Reacting Per Cent, of Herds. Disease. Jutland, 2,721 43,479 23,311 34.9 Fyen, 1,355 22,770 7,302 24.3 Zeeland, 662 13,026 9,903 43.2 Moen, ...... 82 1,313 629 32.4 Lolland-Falster, .... 198 6,248 2,497 28.5 Bornliolm, 588 12,065 2,257 15.8 Total, 5,306 98,901 45,899 31.7 Out of the 5,306 herds, 1,132 were found completely free from disease, no single animal reacting. The report then concludes : — We further believe that, by disseminating sound information as to the method of detection and the measures to be taken for isola- tion, and by distributing tuberculin gratuitously or at a low cost, tuberculosis may be considerably reduced, possibly to an extent which would prevent any serious loss to stock owners or any important interference with the cattle trade. The recommendations of the Royal Commission may be summed up as follows : — Meat. Animals should be slaughtered for beef only in public slaughter houses, where they can be properly inspected. No person should be permitted to act as inspector until he has passed a qualifying examination. Instructions should be issued from time to time for the guid- ance of inspectors, prescribing the degree of tubercular disease which should necessitate the seizure of a carcass. Milk. They recommend that the notification by the owner of any dis- ease of the udder should be made compulsory. That, for the purpose of excluding the milk of cows affected with tuberculosis of the udder, or exhibiting symptoms of the dis- ease, authorities should be given power to slaughter such cows, subject to compensation. 26 CATTL:E COMMISSIONIEKS. [Jan. That authorities should oversee the condition of the barns or cow sheds, which should include the following : — 1. An impervious floor. 2. Sufficient water supply for flushing. 3. Proper drainage. 4. Depot for manure at sufficient distance from byres, 5. Minimum cubic contents of from 600 to 800 for each adult beast. 6. Minimum floor space of 50 feet to each adult beast. 7. Sufficient light and ventilation. For the elimination of bovine tuberculosis the commission recommends that on certain conditions a gratuitous supply of tuberculin, together with the services of a veterinary sur- geon, be given stock owners. These conditions are : — 1. That the test be applied by a veterinary surgeon. 2. That tuberculin be supplied only to such owners as will undertake to isolate reacting animals from healthy ones. 3. That the stock to be tested shall be kept under satisfactory sanitary conditions, and more especially that sufficient air space, ventilation and light be provided in the building occupied by the animals. These are the principal points recommended by the Royal Commission in its two years' sitting ; and, although arrived at entirely independently, they come to the same conclusion and embody the main points of the best laws on this subject in European countries. (For synopsis of these European laws, as well as laws of the various States in America deal- ing with this subject, see Appendix.) As pointed out by Bang, nowadays when a person refers to a herd as being tuberculous, the idea conveyed to the pro- fessional mind is entirely different from what it would have been a few years ago. The use of tuberculin has completely revolutionized our ideas on the subject of tuberculosis. We now know that incipient cases or cases of elementary infec- tion are exceedingly common, and, as is natural, they are most general where there is a lot of trading and shifting of cows. This occurs most commonly of course in the dairy centres, the infected dairy barns gradually becoming centres 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 27 of infection, from which the disease is distributed in a vary- ing degree of prevalence throughout the country. In Europe, being an older country, and the raising of special breeds having reached a higher state of development at an earlier period than in this country, tuberculosis was exceedingly prevalent long before any importance was at- tached to it here. As illustrating the method of its spread to the United States, the story was recently told, by a gentleman of large experience, that many years ago a veter- inary practitioner went over to Scotland on a visit ; before leaving here he was asked by a friend to select several cows of a certain breed for shipment to this State. On his arrival he visited a celebrated stock farm, where he made a selec- tion, and the sale was almost completed, when one day he received a visit from a fellow veterinarian, practising in that district, who told him that he knew the herd to be badly affected with tuberculosis, and that he did not feel justified in allowing him to ignorantly buy the cattle and infect the stock in' Massachusetts. This incident is related as showing both the method of its spread to this country, and how, even at that time, before its actual cause was known, the infec- tious nature of tuberculosis was realized and dreaded by those who were familiar with its character. The percentage of infected animals in almost all European countries is very high; in Leipzig, out of 22,918 cattle slaughtered for beef, 7,619 were found to be tuberculous, a percentage of 33.24. In 29 different towns in Saxony, out of over 84,000 cattle slaughtered for beef, 27.48 per cent, were found tuberculous, as has already been noticed. In Denmark the percentage of infected animals in various herds in different districts varied from 15.8 to 43.2 per cent., with a total percentage in 5,306 herds, including 98,901 sound animals and 45,899 reacting animals, of 31,7. In Great Britain, as in other places, it is more prevalent in some districts than others. In Cheshire, for example, in a herd of 90 cows, 70 were found to be infected, a percentage of 77 per cent., while in 6 herds in the same neighborhood 63 per cent, were found to be infected. Of 12,000 cattle slaughtered in England for contagious pleuro-pneumonia, 12 per cent, were found to be infected with tuberculosis. 28 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. In the United States the percentage of disease is generally low, although in certain districts it approaches the high rate of European countries. In Maine the percentage of rejected animals is about 0.93 per cent. ; in Vermont, about 2.41 per cent. ; in New York, about 4.32 per cent. ; and in New Hampshire, about 10.39 per cent. In these cases of course the percentage is based on the number rejected for shipment to Massachusetts ; and, as presumably only apparently healthy animals are tested for the purpose of export, this percentage is probably lower than the actual amount of in- fection. In Massachusetts the percentage of disease averages a good deal higher. In the fall of 1894, 28 herds, scattered over different towns, were tested, these including 660 cattle. Of these, 188 were condemned, showing a percentage of 28.48. About the same time some 12 or 15 herds in Middle- sex County were tested, these including 312 animals, and of these, 34, or 10.89 per cent., were found infected. From June 5 to Dec. 15, 1895, herds including 4,095 animals were tested; of these, 1,081, or 26.4 per cent., were found to be tuberculous. In 1897, 157 herds, including 2,413 cattle, were tested; of these, 1,397, or 53.79 per cent., were found to be infected animals. A general per- centage of all the herds tested in Massachusetts would in- clude 7,480 animals ; of these, 2,600, or 34.75 per cent., were found to be infected. As has already been noticed, most infected animals are found in the milk-producing, and, therefore, in the infected, districts ; and, while probably the general average through- out the State is slightly lower than in these districts, yet the general average of infection is high. Fortunately, by far the larger proportion, probably 75 or 80 per cent, of these cases, are slight localized cases ; but it is no use hiding the fact that these animals are infected ani- mals, and, placed under proper conditions, in any one of them the disease might develop and the animal become a diseased animal.* It is the duty of the State, then, to spread information, and educate and assist the owners of stock to place their cattle under such conditions as to assist in retard- ing the possible development of these infected but not aflected 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 29 cattle. It would be well also to encourage those who desire to entirely free their herds from disease to follow the princi- ples for handling infected herds laid down by Bang. If this were done thoroughly and conscientiously by owners of such stock, it would do much to reduce the amount of disease in the State, and it would cost but a fraction of the amount re- quired for the total destruction of infected animals. Such a plan would only necessitate the destruction of such animals as show physical evidence of disease, — the slight localized cases are not necessarily dangerous ; on the other hand, the cases showing clinical evidence of disease, whether disease of the udder or otherwise, are the cases that need immediate attention. These are a source of danger to both human beings and the other cattle in the barn, and should be taken care of immediately. In this connection Prof. Theobald Smith tersely and con- cisely reviews the situation when he says : — It seems to me that, accepting the clinical evidence at hand, bovine tuberculosis may be transmitted to children when the body is overpowered by large numbers of bacilli, as in udder tubercu- losis, or when certain unknown favorable conditions exist. To prevent this from occurring, a rigid periodic dairy iuspection and the removal of all suspicious udder affections and all emaciated animals is as much as public health authorities can at present demand. Any measures beyond these belong to agriculture, with which the public has no business to meddle, without endangering the chances of gaining authority to enforce its own necessary measures. If the evidence gained by pathology in the future should reveal a greater danger than is here assumed, the scientific basis of such evidence will, I think, force all additional measures needed. This conclusion of Smith's coincides remarkably with the careful and conservative opinions expressed by the Royal Commission, wlych was appointed by the British govern- ment to investigate and report on the best procedures for controlling the dangers to man from bovine tul)erculosis. In summing up, the report states: "We recommend that, for the purpose of excluding from their districts cows affected with tuberculosis of the udder^ or exhibiting syw/p- 30 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. toms of disease, local authorities should be given power ... to slaughter such cows, subject to compensation,'.' etc. So much for the protection of public health ; then it pro- ceeds to show how, as an agricultural measure, by adopting the principles of Bang's method stockmen can eradicate it from their herds. It will be noticed that these practically embody the main features of the measures adopted in Belgium and other countries. They advise the condemnation of animals show- ing physical evidence of disease and disease of the udder ; further than that they look upon it as a purely agricultural matter. The question of the advisability of keeping up the quaran- tine on out-of-State cattle is one that has received a good deal of consideration. The difficulties in its enforcement are great, yet the benefits to the cattle industry and the State from its enforcement would seem to more than coun- terbalance whatever disadvantages there are. In reference to this matter a prominent drover remarked recently that all the dealers endeavored to get as good a class of animals as possible for the Massachusetts market ; but when asked, "What would be the result in case the quarantine was abolished?" he remarked, "Why, we would bring in the animals we could get the most money out of." New York to-day is sufiering from just the condition that would confront Massachusetts if all quarantine was abol- ished. At a recent annual meeting of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society certain resolutions were adopted, a portion of which read : — Whereas^ There is no systematic work done by them [the New York Commission] in the suppression of tuberculosis in farm animals, but cattle brought from the west for shipment into the States east or south of New York and here tested by tubercuhn are habitually separated into two lots, representing the sound and tuberculous; and that the sound (those that do 'not react) are shipped into New England and other States, while the tuber- culous (the reacting) are sold into the herds of the State of New York, carrying destructive disease into our herds and a most dangerous infection into our meat and dairy products ; there- fore, be it 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 31 Resolved, That the New York State Veterinary Medical Society protests against sucli misappropriation of public funds, against the false show of protection to our herds and to the public health, while both are being sacrificed by the introduction into barns and fields of the cattle of other States tvhich have been ^'ejected by other markets as tuberculous. On this same subject, in Bulletin 150, issued by Cornell University Experiment Station, Prof. James Law says : — In recent years the rigid supervision of herds in the New England States has driven many infected cattle into New York, to spread tuberculosis in previously healthy herds and to increase it in those that were already affected. The exclusion of cattle seeking to enter Pennsylvania or the New England States, which were not accompanied by the certifi- cate that they had successfully stood the tuberculin test, has led to the testing of western cattle at Buffalo and elsewhere, and the detention of such as failed under the test, to be sold too often to the unsuspecting New York stock owner. The tests have often been made by the inspectors of the Bureau of Animal Industry, who have no legal right to interfere with the condemned cattle unless the attempt is made to move them into another State ; and, in the absence of any restriction by the municipal or State health oflflcers, the owner or dealer is at liberty to sell such tuberculous cattle in open market. These are hints of the evils that have been precipitated for a length of time upon our New York live stock industry. Day by day our herds are being systematically infected by the intro- duction of the tuberculous offscouring of other States and of our own, and we raise not a finger to stop it. The crying need of New York to-day is, first, to block these streams of infection, which are now practically invited into our herds from other Commonwealths ; and, second, to inaugurate a systematic effort to rid our own herds, which are the sources of our dairy and meat products, from this scourge. In the report of the New York State Board of Health the Board clearly outlines its position when it says : — It would also seem just that the cost of ridding a herd of tuberculosis should be borne by the State only once, but that, thereafter, the owner should keep it free by admitting no animal without the proof of soundness, which the tuberculin test affords* 32 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. ...If, then, the tuberculin test be required for all cattle entering the State, the herds here once freed may be kept free from disease. ... It is the purpose of the State Board of Health of New York to urge upon the Legislature of 1899 such revision of the existing laws upon this subject as shall ensure certainty in the detecting of the disease, free of cost to the owners of cattle. Pennsylvania also believes in quarantine work. In a recent letter Dr. Leonard Pearson, the secretary of the Pennsylvania Live Stock Sanitary Board, writes : — I think that our present quarantine law is working satisfactorily and is very advantageous. It gets purchasers into the habit of looking for inspected cows, and it makes it possible for owners of healthy herds to purchase additions without going to the trouble and expense of having one or two cows examined. . . . I think it is one of the most important features of any system looking to the suppression of tuberculosis in a State. Moreover, as farmers in the west and in other States learn more of tuber- culosis, more and more infected cattle are being disposed of through the channels of commerce, and the States in which there is no inspection are being exposed to constantly increasing dangers. And in the last annual report of the Vermont Board of Agriculture the Cattle Commissioners say : — Quarantine regulations are in many respects inconvenient to stock owners and dealers, but they are a necessity in connection with any effort to control disease among our cattle. Evidence of this has come to us in many instances during the past year. We have found that cattle buyers from States where no quarantine was in force have purchased many suspected animals, at a price a little less than would have been paid if not suspected. While we have endeavored to have all work done on cattle going to States where a quarantine was in force performed with the same care and under the same rules as State work, and have demanded that all animals found diseased be turned over to us for slaughter, we have not felt it to be our duty to try and protect the interests of States that had no protection of their own. Some time ago, for the purpose of answering certain prac- tical questions incident to the routine work of the Board, the following letter was sent to the out-of-State veterinarians, 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 33 who have been known as engaged in testing cattle for impor- tation into this State ; — Dear Doctor: — As you know, our regulations require all cat- tle coming into Massachusetts to be tested with tuberculin before entering, or upon arrival. Knowing you have done some of the testing, and wishing to ascertain the value of the work and also to determine whether the number of animals rejected as diseased will warrant the expense of keeping up the quarantine, I take the liberty of sending you the enclosed blank, and ask you to kindly fill it out and return to me. Fhst, I wish to ask your opinion as to whether the buyers exer- cise their best judgment in purchasing only healthy animals. How many cattle have you tested for Massachusetts ? How many of this number have reacted? What disposition was made of those that reacted ? In your opinion, what is the per cent, of disease in your State, taking all herds together? Yours truly, C. A. Dennek. In response to this letter, reports have been received which show the following facts : — STATE. Number of Veterinarians Reporting. Cattle Tested. Cattle Rejected. Per Cent. New Hampshire, New York, .... Vermont, Maine, . . " . 14 14 14 16 15,713 5,503 7,157 19,178 1,634 238 173 180 10.39 4.32 2.41 .93 Totals, .... 58 47,551 2,226 4.67 It is not supposed that this is a complete report ; but it is apparent that, if these 2,225 animals thus rejected had been imported into the State without inspection, and found dis- eased at a later period, it would have cost the State, at the rate heretofore paid for condemned cattle, about $33.50 per head, the sum of $74,537.50. These figures also suggest the amount of selection exer- cised by the drovers of the different States in securing ani- mals for this market, and that the State making the best showing in the above table may have still within its borders 34 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. an excess of diseased subjects. This is suggested by several of the replies from New Hampshire and New York, from which places the drovers bring into this State only such ani- mals as have proved sound, while the suspects and condemned are left to infect other animals in their neighborhood and to contaminate the dairy products ; but the benefits to this State are not confined alone to the rejection of reacting animals. The quality of all animals brought in for dairy purposes is improved. On this same subject T. D. Babcock, one of the Cattle Commissioners in Rhode Island, in his report to the State Board of Agriculture of that State, in referring to this matter, says : — It is but just to the reliable dealers in this locality to say that they do all in their power to carry out the provisions of the law. . . . That an enforcement of this law has made a marked im- provement in the cattle in this section of the State, every well- informed person is free to admit. Massachusetts is the general market for all the New Eng- land States, and the cost of the work is slight compared to the benefits to be derived from a steady prosecution of the work, even if it was to be abandoned by the other New Eng- land States. Believing, then, that this or a somewhat similar method is necessary and for the benefit of all concerned, the order quarantining out-of-State cattle, and known as General Order No. 10, was revised; and finally, on the seventeenth day of October, 1898, the following order was adopted by the com- mission ; — COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. Board of Cattle Commissioners, Commonwealth Building, 11 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, Oct. 17, 1898. To All Whom it may Concern. By virtue of the power and authority in us vested by law, and especially under the provisions of chapter 491 of the Acts of the year 1894 and chapter 496 of the Acts of the year 1895, you are hereby notified that tuberculosis, which is a contagious disease and is so recognized under the laws of this Commonwealth, exists 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 35 among cattle of the several States and Territories of the United States, the District of Columbia and Canada ; and such localities are, in the opinion of this Board, infected districts. You are hereby further notified, that, in order to prevent the importation of diseased animals, and as a means of suppressing such disease within this Commonwealth, this Board has passed the following order : — First. — No neat cattle brought from any State or Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Canada or any other country without the limits of this Commonwealth, shall be brovight within the limits of this Commonwealth except for delivery directly to the Union stock yards in the town of Watertown, the Boston & Albany stock yards in Brighton, within the city of Boston, or the premises of the New England Dressed Beef and Wool Company in the city of Somerville, except upon a permit signed by the Board of Cattle Commissioners or some one of its members ; and no neat cattle so brought for delivery at any of said points shall be unloaded, except in ease of accident, at any point other than the said Boston & Albany stock yards in Brighton, the Union stock yards in Watertown, or the New England Dressed Beef and Wool Company in Somerville. Second. — All neat cattle brought within the limits of this Common- wealth from any place designated in paragraph 1 hereof j except for delivery as provided in the preceding paragraph, must be accompanied by a permit issued by this Board or some member thereof; and you are hereby forbidden to receive for transportation animals other than those designated in such permit. Third. — If for any cause any such neat cattle are received by any of your agents within the limits of this Commonwealth at any place other than the Union stock yards in Watertown, the Boston & Albany stock yards in Brighton, or the New England Dressed Beef and Wool Com- pany'in Somerville, not accompanied by a permit, as provided in para- graph 2 hereof, you will immediately notify this office, giving the place where said animals were received for shipment, the name of the con- signee and destination of said animals. You will not remove said animals or permit them to be removed from the car or vehicle in which they are contained without a permit from this Board or some member thereof; except that if, by reason of the crowded condition of the car or because of the long confinement of said animals within the same, or for accident or otherwise, it is deemed expedient by you or your agent to unload the same, such animal or animals may be removed by you from said car or vehicle without such permit; but in such case you will notify this office, and you will not allow said animal or animals to go out of the possession of your agent or off of your premises where said animals are unloaded, except upon obtaining, such permit. Fourth. — All neat cattle brought within the limits of the premises in Brighton, Watertown and Somerville, designated in paragraph 1 hereof, are hereby declared to be quarantined. 36 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. Fifth. — Any person violating the provisions of this order will be punished as provided in section 47 of chapter 491 of the Acts of the year 1894. This order shall take effect upon the seventeenth day of Octo- ber, 1898. Austin Peters, Chairman, John M. Parker, Secretary, Maurice O'Connell, Leander F. Herrick, Charles A. Dennen, Board of Cattle Commissioners. In considering the question of compensation, it is of interest to notice that most countries give some compensa- tion where tuberculous cattle are condemned by the State. In Massachusetts it has been the custom to refuse com- pensation when animals die, or are just dying, from this disease ; otherwise, within limits, full compensation has been given. It should be noted, however, that the passage of the law relating to the use of flesh of animals slightly infected with tuberculosis changes the conditions somewhat ; and, while on this subject, it might be of interest to notice that possibly no recent changes in the laws relating to this matter promise to do more to promote an economical and frictionless working of the law than this one, which was advocated in the last annual report and adopted by the Legislature during the past session. This modification relating to the use of meat has not been met by any corresponding change in the law relating to compensation. The law might with advantage be altered, so that when an animal is quarantined by the inspector because of physical evidence of tuberculosis, and is con- demned by the Cattle Commission, the owner should receive either full or partial compensation. On the other hand, after being quarantined by the inspector, if, in the opinion of the Board, no physical evidence of tuberculosis is present, the animal should be released ; then, if the owner is dissat- isfied, the animal may be tested, and if found infected it may be killed, the owner to receive the beef value of the carcass. It would further seem advisable that in case any " request work," or testing of entire herds upon request of the owner, 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 37 was done, the owner should have the option of either sepa- rating the reacting from the non-reacting, and following out the principles laid down by Bang under direction of the Board, or having the reacting animals killed and appraised, the owner to receive the beef value of the carcass. Such a method of compensation, when the test is made on the request and in the interest of the owner, would result in no voluntary testing being done unless the owner was in earnest in his desire to have the disease eradicated from his herd. If he had to bear a proportional part of the cost, be would naturally be more careful. Unless an owner is heart and soul in the work, the law is powerless to relieve him. Stock owners should realize that to keep a herd that has once been seriously affected free from disease depends more upon the continual watchfulness and care of the owner than upon any laws the State may enact. Another practical point that might well be referred to here is that of slaughter-house inspection and the super- vision of local slaughter houses. It appears to us as though the supervision of this work more properly belonged to the local boards of health. The method of licensing a number of small scattered slaughter houses is another point that should be remedied. The system is not one that lends itself readily to either convenience or economy in inspection ; and, in fact, from every point of view it would seem to be better to do away with the small private slaughter houses, and give cities and towns power to establish public abattoirs, where those engaged in this business could rent stalls at a fair rate, and where the work of supervising them could be done more satisfactorily and more economically than at the present time. Texas Fever. There has been no Texas fever in this Commonwealth dur- ing the past summer, but a few remarks upon the steps taken to prevent an outbreak similar to the one reported iu 1897, and the benefit to cattle owners resulting from the investiga- tion made by Dr. Cooper Curtice, acting under authority of 38 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. the Massachusetts Cattle Commission, as given in full in the last annual report, may not be out of place at this time. The latter part of May the following letter was written to Dr. William Henry Kelly, veterinarian to the New York State Department of Agriculture, in order to ascertain if any steps were being taken to protect Massachusetts from a simi- lar outbreak to that of the previous year ; — Boston, May 28, 1898. Dr. W. H. Kelly, Albany, N. Y. Dear Sir : — Has the Bureau of Animal Industry put an in- spector on at the Albany stock yards for this summer, and what precaution has been taken to protect Massachusetts against another outbreak of Texas fever, such as we had last year? If you will write and tell me what has been done, or if nothing has been done, it will be a great favor. Yours truly, Austin Peters, Chairman, To this Dr. Kelly replied as follows : — Albany, N. Y., June 3, 1898. Dr. Austin Peters, Boston, Mass. Dear Sir : — Yours of the 28th ult. is received. In reply, will state that the Bureau of Animal Industry has not put an inspector at West Albany. I consulted with the Commissioner of Agriculture of this State, and he thinks he will have a veterinarian look after these j^ards, thereby preventing Massachusetts from having a similar occurrence as that of last year. He is to let me know by Tuesday of next week what action he is going to take in the matter, and I will inform you. Yours respectfully, "Wm. Henry Kelly. The following reply was sent to Dr. Kelly, and at the same time a letter was written to the United States Secretary of Agriculture at Washington : — Boston, June 6, 1898. Dr. Wm. H. Kelly, Albany, N. Y. Dear Sir: — Thank you for your letter of June 3. Our com- mission will owe the Agricultural Commissioner of your State a debt of gratitude if he has a veterinarian in charge of the yards at Albany this season. At the same time, I think it is the duty of the Bureau of Animal Industry to protect us against Texas fever, and I have written facts in the case to the Secretary of Agricult- ure at Washington. Yours truly, Austin Peters, Chairman. 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51.' 39 Dr. Kelly replied to the second letter, as below : — Albany, N. Y., June 7, 1898. Dr. Austin Petees, Boston, Mass. Dear Doctor : — Yours of the 6th inst. is received. The com- missioner has concluded to have a man visit West Albany stock yards each day, and find out what cattle pass through there. This will be done under my personal supervision, and if any question arises, I am directed to investigate immediately. As a rule, I. am at West Albany every day, consequently will be on the grounds. He has also written Dr. Hinkley, United States government inspector, at Buffalo, and asked him to inform him whenever any quarantined cattle are shipped into or through this State ; also asked him to give car number and destination, whereby we will see that it does not stop at West Albany. Any other question you would like to ask in relation to this I will be pleased to answer. Yours respectfully, Wm. Henry Kelly. The United States Secretary of Agriculture was written to, as follows : — Boston, June 6, 1898. Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agricidture, Washington, D. C. Sir : — When our annual report came out I sent a copy to you, and also one to Dr. Salmon, as it gave a report concerning an outbreak of Texas fever which occurred here last summer, owing to the fact that quarantine cattle occupied the same pens at Albany stock yards as New York cattle in transit for Brighton market. After the outbreak occurred, Dr. Salmon had the Brighton yards quarantined for a time, greatly to the inconvenience of the railroads ; besides which, it was a loss to our farmers having cattle die from Texas fever, owing to the fact that there is no proper protection at Alban}^ I think there should be an in- spector of the Bureau of Animal Industry at Albany, to see that the law requiring quarantine cattle to have separate pens and chutes from northern cattle is in force. I have written to Al- bany, and am informed that nothing has been done about the matter as yet. Hoping we will be protected this season against any such out- break as we had last year, I am, Yours respectfully, Austin Peters, Chairman, 40 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. To which he made the following reply : — Washington, D, C, June 15, 1898. Dr. Austin Peters, Chairman, Board of Cattle Co7nmissioners, Commonwealth Building, Boston, Mass. Dear Sir: — I am in receipt of your letter of the 6th inst., relative to the necessity for stationing an inspector of the Bureau of Animal Industry at Albany, N. Y., to supervise the shipment and isolation of quarantine cattle. The matter will receive im- mediate attention, and it is probable that an inspector will be stationed at Albany, as recommended by yourself. Very truly yours, James Wilson, Secretary. An inspector of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry was soon after stationed at the Albany stock yards, to see that the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture, requiring cattle from infected districts to be driven through separate chutes and yarded in different pens from northern cattle, were enforced. This Board is also informed that new stock yards at Albany have been built this autumn by the New York Central Eailroad Company. As the outbreak of 1897 was clearly due to the utter neglect to carry out the rules and regulations of the Bu- reau of Animal Industry relating to ' ' scheduled " cattle at Albany, by the New York Central Railroad Company, the farmers and drovers who lost cattle from Texas fever at that time were advised to pool together and employ legal counsel in an endeavor to recover the value of the animals that died from this cause. The result of this action has been that the New York Central Railroad Company has settled with the Massachusetts owners of these animals on a basis approxi- mating four-fifths of their value, amounting to about $1,600. The liability of the railroad company having been thus established, the parties in Connecticut who lost cattle were notified of the fact, and a settlement on the same basis was secured for them, amounting to in the neighborhood of $350 more. It is apparent from the foregoing statement that the action of the Massachusetts Cattle Commission in investigating the outbreak of Texas fever in the summer of 1897, as it did, 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 41 has resulted in not only better protection to the live stock interests of the State the past season, but also to partial remuneration to our cattle owners for the animals they lost from this disease the year before, as well as to those in a sister State. Experiments have been carried on by the Bureau of Animal Industry in dipping cattle to destroy the ticks, and thus render it safe to ship cattle from the fever-infected districts into northern States at any season of the j^ear. That is, believing that the disease is carried from infected animals to healthy ones only through . the medium of the ticks, it is thought that by dipping the cattle in some prep- aration that will kill the ticks they can then mingle with northern creatures with safety. If this method proves suc- cessful and is extensively adopted, the danger of outbreaks of Texas fever in our northern herds during the summer months will have become a thing of the past. It is too soon, however, to know positively whether this method will prove practicable, or not ; meanwhile, enforcing the rules and regulations requiring ' ' quarantine cattle " to be kept apart from northern cattle, driven over separate chutes and yarded in pens set aside for them during the portion of the year when there are no killing frosts, wdll serve to prevent out- breaks of this disorder, although it does not allow of as free a traffic in cattle as can exist if dipping proves to be a success. * Glanders. Since issuing the last report glanders has continued to be quite prevalent, although there has been a falling off in the number of cases reported to the Board of Cattle Commis- sioners from that of 1897. From Dec. 15, 1897, to Dec. 15, 1898, 428 horses have been reported to the Board as having glanders and farcy, or suspected of having glanders or farcy. Included in this number are 2 which had not been disposed of at the time of making the last report. One of these was released from quarantine as free from disease ; the other was taken out of quarantine by its owner, who departed with his property to Connecticut, contrary to law, — his exact destination was 42 CATTLE OOMMISSIONEHS. [Jan. never ascertained. This makes 426 new cases, the other 2 included in this year's work making the total of 428. Of this number, 41 have been released from quarantine as being free from disease, 386 have been killed as being infected with either glanders or farcy, and 1, which probably had glanders, was illegally removed by the owner. The following table gives the number of cases reported from each city and town, and shows the result of the exam- ination : — •6 1 •6 I •a § ^ 1 03 0) 1 8 H 8 i o Acushnet, 1 1 Marblehead, . 2 2 Arlington, 1 _ 1 Marlborough, 1 - 1 Auburn, 1 _ 1 Medford, 2 1 3 Belmont, 1 - 1 Melrose, 1 - 1 Beverly, 1 - 1 Merrimac, - 1 1 Boston, . 137 1 138 Middleborough, . 1 - 1 Boxborough, 1 - 1 Millbury, - 1 1 Brockton, 3 1 4 Milford, 1 1 2 Brookline, 2 — 2 Monson, 1 1 2 Cambridge, 25 3 28 Montague, 1 - 1 Carlisle, 1 1 2 New Bedford, 10 - 10 Charlton, 1 - 1 Newton, 4 - 4 Chelmsford, 2 _ 2 North Reading, . 1 - 1 Chelsea, 9 1 10 Ply mp ton. ! 1 - 1 Chicopee, 2 - 2 Quincy, . 2 1 3 Clinton, . 12 1 13 Reading, 5 — 5 Conway, - 1 1 Revere, . 5 - 5 Danvers, - 1 Salem, . - 1 1 Dennis, . - 1 Saugus, . - 1 1 Fall River, 16 4 20 Sherborn, 1 - 1 Fitchburg, 2 9 Somerville, . 36 4 40 Granville, 1 1 Spencer, . - 1 1 Hamilton, - 1 Springfield, . 6 1 7 Hatfield, - 1 Sutton, . 2 - 2 Haverhill, - 3 Swampscott, . 1 - 1 Hingham, - 2 Waltham, 8 - 8 Holyoke, - 1 Watertown, . 3 - 3 Hull, - 1 Webster, 1 - 1 Hyde Park, - 1 Wellesley, ! 2 - 2 Lancaster, 2 _ 2 Westfield,* . 1 - 1 Lawrence, - 1 Westport, 1 - 1 Leominster, 1 2 Winthrop, 5 - 5 Leverett, — 1 1 Woburn, 1 - 1 Lexington, _ 1 1 Worcester, . 25 4 29 Lynn, 6 2 8 Lynnfield, Maiden, 1 _ 1 Totals, . 387 41 428 10 2 12 Run off by owner, probably had glanders. 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 43 As compared with the number of cases reported in 1897, the above table shows a decrease not only in the number of animals but also in the number of cities and towns from which cases were reported the previous year. In 1897 there were 402 horses killed as heina- affected with this disease, — 16 (not counting the horse run off) more than during 1898. Eighty-one were reported as dis- eased which were released as free from glanders or farcy, — • 40 more than in 1898 ; the total number in 1897 of real or suspected cases exceeded those of 1898 by 61, crediting the 2 cases not disposed of at the close of 1897 to that 3'ear. In 1897 cases or suspected cases of glanders or farcy were reported from 83 cities and towns, while in 1898 but 71 cities and towns reported cases of this disease, — a falling off of 12. One of the cases reported from Lynn was quarantined and released in the latter part of 1897, and requarantined by the inspector in the spring of 1898, as the symptoms had devel- oped further, and it was ordered killed as having glanders. One of the cases reported from Fall River is entered twice, as the horse was quarantined as having farcy and its release ordered by the Board ; later, further symptoms made their appearance, and the owner had the inspector kill the horse, which was then reported as killed for farcy with the owner's consent ; therefore, in reality the total number of cases re- ported from Fall River is 19 instead of 20. As in previous years, Boston leads in the number of cases ; but it must be borne in mind that Boston is much larger than any other city in the State, and is also the centre for a vast amount of traffic, requiring a great number of horses. In fact, more than half the number of cases reported have been within ten miles of the State House, 138 in Boston, 28 in Cambridge, 40 in Somerville and 10 in Chelsea, making a total of 216. Boston and Cambridge had about the same number of cases the past year as in 1897, while Somerville and Chelsea show an increase. Four of the cases reported from Waltham should really be credited to Boston. The horses belonged to an express company in Waltham, but had been boarded at a stable in Boston ; for some reason they were brought 44 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. home, and two of them were found to be diseased with farcy the day after they arrived in Waltham, and were immediately killed ; another developed symptoms of farcy a few days after he was brought home, and was killed within a week or ten days of the time of his removal from the stable in Boston ; the fourth horse also had farcy, and was killed about the same time as the others, but had been brought from the boarding stable to the home stable in Waltham a few weeks earlier than the other three. There was no history of any glanders or farcy in the express company's stable in Wal- tham prior to bringing these four horses home, but a number of cases killed as glandered have been reported to the Board of Cattle Commissioners by the inspector of Boston, as com- ing from the boarding stable where the express company's four horses were kept. Another instance of the manner in which the disease may be disseminated from a large centre of infection, as that ex- isting in Boston, may be illustrated by the case at Plympton, or one of the cases at Lancaster. The horse at Plympton was at the ice houses at Silver Lake ; he was brought there from Dorchester last winter by the ice company. After deciding that the animal had glan- ders, the Boston inspector was notified and went to the ice company's stable in Dorchester and found two more horses with glanders, which he ordered killed. The horse at Plymp- ton had been kept by himself from winter until August, when the case was reported to the Board and the horse ordered killed. Another example is a case at Lancaster. A farmer bought a cheap horse at a well-known sale stable in Boston, to help do the extra work of the summer months ; he was reported as having glanders after the farmer had owned him a couple of months, and was ordered killed. As he was a slow horse for farm work, he was not taken off the farm during his stay there, and, as far as the Board is informed; none of his owner's other horses became infected. The horse at Plympton was also kept alone, and only worked around the premises of the ice company. Fortunately, these two cases appear to have done no damage by contaminating other animals. The most gratifying results have been those obtained in 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 45 "Worcester, where in 1896 there were 100 cases of suspected glanders and farcy reported to the Cattle Commissioners ; in 1897 it was reduced to 84 and in 1898 to 29. This has been accomplished in part by closing the public watering troughs for awhile in 1897, and by keeping up a constant supervision of sale stables and auction rooms, as well as keeping all other suspicious localities under careful observation. The Board is of the opinion that the cases of glanders and farcy have been pretty generally reported to it during 1898 ; and, while many horses are quietl}^ killed by the owners and not reported for fear of hurting the reputation of their stables, and while a few unscrupulous individuals are not above sell- ing or trading oif a glandered horse, yet in the main a larger proportion of the cases have been reported than in previous years ; and as a rule there is a tendency among local authori- ties and veterinarians to co-operate with the Board of Cattle Commissioners in their endeavors to lessen the ravages of this dangerous disease. It is to be hoped that another year will show a still further decrease from 1898 in the number of cases of this malady. As in 1896 and 1897, doubtful cases have been held in quarantine until guinea-pigs could be tested with the nasal discharge or with material from farcy sores, in order to establish a correct diagnosis, and this proves a very satis- factory method as a rule ; occasionally it is necessary to obtain material a second time, but generally the first test is sufficient. Mallein has been satisfactorily used a few times, but usually the guinea-pig test seems preferable. Of course in perfectly clear, well-marked cases it is not necessary to verify the diagnosis. The work of establishing the correctness of the diagnosis by means of the guinea-pig test has been done in part by Dr. Langdon Frothingham and a portion by Dr. Theobald Smith. The tests made by Dr. Smith have been done free of charge, owing to the crippled condition of the finances of the Board, caused by the failure of the last Legislature to make a sufficient appropriation. The Board of Cattle Commissioners take this oppoi-tunity to express their deep obligations to Dr. Smith for all his courtesy. 46 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. Rabies. At the time of compiling the last report, in December, 1897, it was said that rabies among dogs was commencing to decrease in prevalence, and it was hoped that it was becoming less frequent, and in time would die out until another outbreak occurred. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Early in the year of 1898, reports of rabies began to come in from Lynn, Swampscott and Salem, and later cases from other localities in the eastern part of the State have been called to the attention of the Board at various intervals up to the present time. There were 35 cases of rabies or suspected rabies investi- gated by the Board of Cattle Commissioners during the year, including 32 dogs, 1 horse, 1 cat and 1 rat. Of this number, 18 animals have been proved to have been rabid by inoculating rabbits, including the horse and the cat. Four animals sent in as suspected of being rabid have proved not to have been so by the rabbit test, including the rat. The head of one dog was too far decomposed when it arrived to be of any use for diagnostic purposes; another dog is known to have been rabid, as two dogs supposed to have been bitten by him afterward became rabid and were proved so by the rabbit test ; 9 dogs have been reported as rabid by local inspectors, where the diagnosis has not been verified; and 2 quarantined by the local inspector were found not to be suffering from hydrophobia. In addition, 33 dogs have been quarantined by order of the Board of Cattle Commissioners or by the local in- spectors, because of their having been bitten, or having been where they might have been bitten, by rabid dogs. In these cases the quarantines are continued for ninety days, at the expiration of which time the animals are released if theyl appear to be healthy. Of the 33 dogs thus quarantined, 2 have died of rabies ; 3 or 4 have been killed by their owners, for fear they might become rabid ; the rest have been released at the expiration of the period of quarantine, with the exception of 11 which were quarantined about the 1st of October, and whose 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 47 ninety-day period of enforced seclusion will not be over until the last of the year. More drastic measures for the suppression of rabies would be to shoot all dogs known to have been bitten by rabid animals ; but public opinion would not support such extreme measures, and a ninety-day quarantine of all dogs bitten, or that may have been bitten, is a great safeguard, although not an absolute protection, as in some cases the latent period is longer than this, and in rare instances is supposed to be capable of covering several months or even a year. Muzzling all dogs running at large for two or three months, in localities where there is an outbreak of rabies, is also a protection, if properly carried out ; all dogs running at large, without muzzles, to be caught and impounded, and, if not claimed by their owners within a reasonable length of time, to be killed. This method was resorted to in Swampscott and Lynn last spring. Owing to the many reports of cases of rabies coming from these two places, and Salem, early in April, the chairman and secretary of the Board visited these three towns, with the result, after conferring with the health authorities, that the boards of health of Lynn and Swampscott ordered all dogs running at large upon the streets to be muzzled until the 15th of June. The con- sequence was that no more reports of cases of rabies came from these localities until after the expiration of the muzzling order, when the last of June another case was reported in Lynn in a dog that came from Swampscott. Since then, however, but two more cases have been reported from Lynn and none from Swampscott and Salem, neither of which have proved to be rabies as yet by the rabbit test. Another important measure for the suppression of rabies is a thorough enforcement of the license law, as it is the homeless, neglected mongrel or cur that is most likely to disseminate this malady. Any one who cares enough for a dog or is responsible enough to pay a license fee will prob- ably keep it under observation to a certain extent ; and, if the animal is noticed to be ailing or acting strangely, it may be secured, so that the danger of its doing damage is less than that of the homeless, ownerless dog, who may run 48 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. a-muck before anything wrong is noticed about it. It is, therefore, very important that the police of all cities and towns see that the dog license law is very rigidly enforced every spring. If it were not for the fact that the majority of cases of hydrophobia are what is known as " dumb rabies," the disease would prevail more extensively than it does. Probably nine out of ten cases assume this form, and it is only 10 per cent, or thereabouts that have what is known as ''furious rabies," with a disposition to run away from home, biting persons, dogs or other animals with which they may come in contact. These two forms of rabies, " dumb " and " furious," are in reality one and the same disease. Whether the dog mopes around home and finally becomes paralyzed and dies, or runs off' and does a lot of damage before dying, depends upon the conditions surrounding the animal at the time the disease develops, and in part upon its natural disposition. If any- thing occurs to unduly excite its mental activity or make it nervous at the time the trouble develops, the "furious" form may ensue ; if it is quiet around the house or barn and nothing transpires to worry or excite it as the sj^mptoms are about to appear, the "dumb" form will probably develop, and the animal will die quietly at home without doing any harm. The latter is the case usually, hence the reason for hydrophobia not being more frequent than it is. At the same time, when it is considered how frequently the disease occurs, and the great amount of damage done by mad dogs in biting other animals and persons, as well as the danger of fatal results to human beings from wounds inflicted by the teeth of such canines, the matter becomes one of very grave importance, and all reasonable steps for the suppression of the disease should be resorted to. The protective inoculation of Pasteur for the prevention of rabies practically does away with the danger from the bite of a rabid dog ; at the same time, the nervous worry and expense incident to a trip to New York to undergo treatment at the Pasteur Institute is a serious matter, especially in many cases where the persons bitten can ill afford the cost. The question naturally arises, whether it would not be well to equip a laboratory to furnish the necessary preventive 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 49 treatment by the State, if rabies is to continue to be as prevalent as it has been the past two or three years. If the State is to furnish the means for producing diph- theria antitoxin and tetanus antitoxin, there are just as good reasons for furnishing the Pasteur protective inoculation to patients ; as it is rather too expensive a process to be carried on by a private laboratory, and it is a great hardship and expense for persons of limited means to go a long distance for treatment, as has been the case with many of those bitten during the past year or two. Of course only a small per cent. , probably but twelve to fifteen per cent., of all the persons bitten by rabid dogs develop rabies. If the animal bites through clothing, or has previously bitten several articles, the virus may be wiped off the teeth so that none is introduced into the wounds it inflicts, in which case no evil results ensue, but bites upon the bare hands or face of persons attacked are to be looked upon as very dangerous. In rare instances patients have developed rabies when undergoing, or soon after finishing, the Pasteur treatment ; but these cases have followed bad bites upon the bare arms or face, or too much delay before commencing the treatment. In cases of supposed rabies in dogs the police authorities frequently adopt anything but a wise course in shooting the animal, and calling it mad without positively knowing whether it is or not. In these instances, especially if any persons are bitten, the dog should be secured at once if possible, and safely chained or shut up where he can be observed for awhile. If laboring under some other form of mental excitement than rabies, it will probably recover in time ; if it becomes worse, so as to have to be killed, it should be chloroformed, and the head sent at once to the laboratory while fresh, to inoculate rabbits. Shooting is objectionable from a scientific point of view, as it injures the brain and introduces septic organisms that interfere with the test on the rabbits. If after shooting the dog is buried for two or three days, and then dug up as an after thought to ascertain whether it was rabid or not, decomposition of the brain will be still farther advanced, and may be so much so as to render it valueless to determine correctly 50 CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. [Jan. whether the trouble was rabies or not. If the dog dies of himself, the head should be at once removed and immedi- ately sent to the laboratory, if it is necessary to make a diagnosis. Owing to the expense of making the test, it is not generally advisable to undertake it unless the supposed rabid animal has bitten other dogs or persons. If persons have been bitten, it is very important to estab- lish a correct diagnosis, in order to decide whether it is best for those injured to undergo the protective treatment or not. As a rule, a rabbit inoculated will develop rabies in a suffi- ciently short space of time to give the person ample oppor- tunity to go to the Pasteur Institute ; while, if the result is negative with the rabbit, the person bitten may rest assured that he was not injured by a rabid animal, and is, therefore, in no danger of contracting rabies. When a dog's head arrives at the laboratory with the brain torn by bullets, or after decomposition has set in, it delays the result in making a diagnosis, or even prevents it being made altogether, hence the importance of its being fresh and intact. The appended table gives the cases reported to the Board of Cattle Commissioners during the past year, showing the month, town, species of animal and damage done, as far as known. It is hoped that the efforts of the Board for the suppression of this dangerous scourge will meet with such success that in time it may again disappear ; but to do this the hearty co-operation of local boards of health and police authorities in all cities and towns is necessary. 1899.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 51. 51 h V p fl > OS OeS 0) h^ a .S to bo CD (U 0 a)j3 ■d 2^ u go 03 .s OJ •w S 0 OS fl rsn 03 <»« > S 3 ^r2 03 0 A o"« Js^d s ;:: 0) at ^ q 4^ =Sfl2 ^ 9 tH 03 0 to (L^ fl ci 03 0 0 03 fl 03 fl 1 .fl 0 0 03 0 u 03 0 g a (>.>>03 X2 > ■SOJ 00 o 03 03 fl 03 0 0 0 03 03 bo i- a 0 03 „r-3 «i.--ia III .rH tfl fl j^ fl 0) ipi 03 0 03 "bo c3 3 0 0 03 fl 03 bo bo 0 >, /2 J2 03 o 03 J- 3 OJ Q fl"-|S 0 ft fl 0 c3 03 Fh 0 ■a 3 OS 2 3 0 fl fl S [7j t^ -d >. .a 00 m m 11 tn S oj -a 03 .a fl 03 03 0 /2 03 -d 03 03 03 03 0 P5 w p, 03 a^ -J;^ .'^ ■w QJ CTh 03 I^ ^ ^ M M W p^ W 1— 1 M w 0 w M C3 0) c 2 S fl s s S a a g fl 03 A to a s OS M 5 c3 03 2 3 03 4J iO To U) ^ "bo "bo bO "bo To To 3 B s .9 3 s a a J5 03 S A ,C a 3 .a to 0 SH p o o 53 0 p p 0 0 0 tH ^ ^ fe u ?H £ N !h £ fH o 0 a; Q csS" Ti ^ j< Oj k® fl Q 03 03" 03 Q 03 Q 03 03 a 03 03 a S 03 S s^ 2. 03 a P 03 P 03 P 03 Ph > > > •|| 1 t» > > -t» > -s t> > OQ .rf CC ^ '^ 03 03 03 03 03 •tn ^ o3 'S 'm '^ oi^ 0 *S 'm -Is ■H ■is 'S ■'^ 'S "vi to o O o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 03 Oh P-i Ph ^ ;zi Ph z Oh C^ s^; iz; 1^ ;z; Ph 'A Ph Oh ^ tn -^ a} <^ 0^ O •)-< iS bO to fee bo to bo 03 bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo to bo o o o 0 0 0 0 o3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q p Q Q fi Q Q s Q 0 Q « 0 P P P P P • _^ _^- • 6 IB .9 0 0 o H fl" fl" a s oT 0 u fl a fl" ^ ?H 03 _- fl" 0 a a a" fl a" 'p3 a fl 03 c3 fl 03 0 5 fl fl fl OS fl fl fl fl S-l >. !>> •3 fe "3 >. 3 CO t>. ■3 03 0. >. 03 h1 t^ >^ 0. « »-} 1-1 S iJ iJ 0 vJ 1-5 iA (^ h; w b^ t^ t^ t^ _- H fc^ t^ >^ t^ t^ >l t^ t^ £? 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