[I.]

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

The Commissioners on contagious diseases of cattle, in their report of January, 1863, stated that there was not then a visible case of the disease called pleuro-pneumonia existing in the State. In February following, they were called upon to visit supposed cases on the farm of Wm. P. Childs, in Waltham, and, subsequently, communicated the result of their investigations to the legislature, stating that they were unable to trace the origin of the disease in that herd.. It was afterwards ascertained that the disease had existed in Lexington, in "a secret hiding place," for several months previous.

The course taken was first to isolate the herd of cattle in Waltham, after which, active measures were taken to discover the origin of the outbreak. The dealer, of whom Mr. Childs had purchased cattle, denied having any reason to suspect the existence of the disease in his herd, consequently the markets where the cattle were purchased were visited, and when no traces of the disease could there be found, it was feared that all efforts to control the malady would be fruitless.

Several weeks elapsed before it became known that other herds were infected, and that many animals had perished from the disease. The expenses already incurred having exhausted the appropriation of $1,000 made by the legislature, report of the fact was made to the executive department,

the opinion of the attorney-general of the Commonwealth was taken as to the individual liabilities of the Commissioners, the result of which was the stopping of all farther proceedings, and the resignation of the Commissioners.

To eight herds, in which there was satisfactory evidence that the disease existed, it was ascertained that the infection was communicated by cattle purchased of the dealer before alluded to as having denied the existence of the disease in his herd, and in most cases the cattle purchased of him were the first attacked. It was estimated by the Commissioners, in May last, that the expenditure of $3,500, in addition to the appropriation of the legislature, would have arrested the disease at that time. Satisfactory evidence is now at hand that it will require $10,000 to cover the loss since sustained by State, towns, and individuals, in consequence of leaving the disease to take its course.

In several instances, where the disease has broken out, the owners of cattle have disposed of them without calling upon the authorities for recompense, and if all the cattle that have been exposed to the disease had been disposed of in such a manner as not to endanger others, doubtless no one would complain. But the character of this disease is so insidious, that it is impossible for owners, or any one else, accurately to determine the existence or non-existence of the malady, and cattle may be disposed of in such a manner as to carry the contagion to many herds, hence the necessity of most stringent measures for arresting the disease at the outset. To accomplish this effectually, there should be in existence an active Board of Commissioners. The result of leaving the matter to the local authorities of towns has been disastrous. This is owing, in great part, to the circumscribed action of such local authorities. They cannot reach the sources of the disease. By the statute, the Commissioners have full power to visit any locality in the State, and require any persons to testify under oath as to their knowledge of the existence of pleuro-pneumonia in their vicinity; hence the fear of detection and punishment deters many from

sending cattle that have been exposed to the public markets to be sold; but as selectmen can only act within their own municipalities, such cattle can be sent beyond the town limits, and sold without restraint.

If no Board of Commissioners be appointed, and no active measures are to be taken by the State to prevent the spread of the disease, then it would be important that all laws relating to payments for infected cattle slaughtered should be repealed, otherwise an unprincipled owner may sell a cow infected with the disease, into a herd of sixty or more, and the owner of the latter may, when his cattle are taken sick, call in the authorities, and the town and State will be obliged to pay large sums of money without thereby effecting any thing towards the arrest of the disease.

The importance, as a sanative measure, of checking the spread of a contagious malady like this, has never been considered here as it should be. In England, where the trouble has become wide-spread through inattention and neglect, active measures are now being taken to counteract the evil. These strenuous efforts are being made to prevent the sale of diseased meat, a business of great extent in that country, and which has but just commenced in this. The effect of selling the meat and milk, in that country, of diseased cows, is now known and felt, and even perceptible in its vital statistics. It will be so here, unless prompt and efficient action is taken to prevent it.

Respectfully submitted,

JAMES RITCHIE,

E. F. THAYER,

HENRY L. SABIN,

Late Commissioners on Contagious Diseases of Cattle.

BOSTON, Dec. 9th, 1863.

To His Excellency JOHN A. ANDREW:

SIR,-In accordance with an intimation from your Excellency, I have the honor to lay before you the following account of experiments on pleuro-pneumonia among cattle, made in Cambridge during the past year.

April 10, 1863, a letter was addressed to your Excellency, asking leave to make these experiments at my own expense. This letter was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and at a hearing before that committee, April 16th, I was requested to state my reasons for undertaking the experiments. These reasons were briefly as follows:1. Pleuro-pneumonia is now existing in Waltham.

2. It is admitted, by believers in its contagiousness, that there are two forms of the disease, one contagious and the other non-contagious, the symptoms and anatomical appearances of which are similar, and which cannot be distinguished otherwise than by the fact of transmission. Consequently each outbreak of the disease requires examination.

3. Experiments upon the contagious, epidemic or local character of disease can only be undertaken at a distance from the place where the disease already exists. Just as the contagiousness or non-contagiousness of intermittent fever. (chills and fever) could only be determined by experiments out of the place where it exists.

4. No experiments are known to have been made upon the disease now existing.

April 29.-I was notified that a Resolve had received the signature of the governor granting me "leave to make experiments on pleuro-pneumonia among cattle, so far as relates to the laws of transmission, at his own expense," and directing the cattle commissioners "to place at his disposal cattle belonging to the Commonwealth, for this purpose."

May 12. In accordance with this resolve, the cattle commissioners allowed me to take from a herd in Lexington a cow which had been sick but a few days, and which they believed to be in a good condition to transmit the disease.

Ths cow was carried to Cambridge in a covered wagon, arriving soon after daylight, to avoid possibility of communicating infection on the road.

May 15.-Three cows were received from a herd in Waltham. One of them had been ill four days. The other two were never known to have been ill, although they had been stalled in a barn with cattle ill with pleuro-pneumonia. They were supposed to be perfectly healthy. The sick cow was carried in a wagon; the others were driven, and arrived early in the morning.

May 22.-A cow and heifer were received from Maine, from a region in which pleuro-pneumonia is not known to have existed, and were brought by water to Boston.

The sick cows above mentioned were very sick, and exhibited unquestionable evidence of pleuro-pneumonia. They were kept entirely by themselves, and not allowed to approach the place where the experiments were to be made. The Experimental Herd now consisted of seven animals, as follows:

Two sick cows, one from Waltham, and one from Lexington.

Two cows from Waltham, which had made a part of a herd in which pleuro-pneumonia existed.

One cow from Maine, four years old.

One heifer from Maine, about two years old.

One cow, (a new-milch cow,) which had been owned by me two years.

As it was found impracticable to obtain any land upon which the experiments could be conducted, I selected my own grounds, in Cambridge. Here a shed was built, twentyfour feet long by twelve feet wide, open to the south, and closed upon the other three sides. The cattle were secured with their heads towards the open side. They were thus protected from sun and rain, and enjoyed a free ventilation. Around the shed a fence was built, to prevent the possibility of contact with other animals.