pneumonia have been discovered in the last ten months, and at this writing (December 20) three months have elapsed since a case of the disease has occurred.

We have here one of the most striking illustrations that the history of the world has furnished of the possibility of exterminating this plague from the worst infected of cities, and from the dairies of the adjoining country districts, within a reasonable time, by the application of proper sanitary measures. In the Old World it has always required many years under the regulations generally adopted to free a long infected district from the disease, while in some cities, as for example Paris, the work has gone on for years without appreciably diminishing the number of cases of disease which annually develop.

From December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, there were inspected in Maryland 10,904 herds, containing 79,606 head of cattle. Of this number 4,866 were re-examined by the non-professional assistants, and 10,534 were tagged with numbers and registered upon the books of the Bureau.

There

There were 18 new herds found infected with pleuro-pneumonia during the year, and these herds contained 295 animals, 21 of which were pronounced diseased when the inspections were made. were purchased for slaughter during the same time 72 affected cattle at a cost of $2,254.27, an average of $31.31 per head; also 311 exposed cattle at a cost of $7,341.83, an average of $23.61 per head. It has been found necessary to disinfect 35 stables, stock-yards, and other premises during the year, and also to make post-mortem examinations upon the carcasses of 11,496 bovine animals, of which 76 were found diseased with pleuro-pneumonia.

The total expenses in Maryland from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, have been $57,488.96, of which $9,596.10 was paid for cattle purchased for slaughter as either diseased or exposed.

THE WORK AS A WHOLE.

Including all the districts in which pleuro-pneumonia has existed, there were inspected from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, a total of 36,531 herds of cattle, containing 329,006 animals. Of this number 183,126 were re-examined by the non-professional assistants in addition to the veterinary inspections, and 56,854 were tagged with numbers and registered upon the books of the Bureau.

There were 222 new herds found affected with pleuro-pneumonia during the year, and these herds contained 4,273 animals, 351 of which were pronounced diseased when the inspections were made. There were purchased for slaughter during the same time 1,241 affected cattle at a cost of $33,123.32, an average of $26.69 per head; also, 3,845 exposed cattle at a cost of $84,032.76, an average of $21.86 per head.

It has been found necessary to disinfect 588 stables, stock-yards, or other premises, and also to make post-mortem examinations upon the carcasses of 54,520 bovine animals, of which 1,294 were found diseased with pleuro-pneumonia.

The total expenses of the pleuro-pneumonia work from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, have been $323,505.62, of which $117,156.08 was paid for cattle purchased for slaughter as either diseased or exposed. The remainder constitutes the expense for inspection, disinfection, tagging, registering, and supervising the movement of cattle, of post-mortem examinations, and of all the various expenses

necessary to insure the prompt discovery of this plague when it appears in any herd, and to prevent the further extension of the infection.

The following table gives a résumé of the pleuro-pneumonia work from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, as given in detail above:

A résumé of the expenditures in the pleuro-pneumonia work from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, is made in the table which follows:

COMPARISON WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

The progress accomplished by this work can only be estimated by comparing the number of new herds found affected during the year and the total number of cases of pleuro-pneumonia found on postmortem examination with similar data gathered from the reports of the preceding year. As the carcasses of all animals which die or are slaughtered from the quarantine districts are examined, we have in the returns of the post-mortem examinations the total number of cases of pleuro-pneumonia which have developed.

The following table shows the number of new herds found affected, the number of post-mortem examinations that were made, and the number of carcasses found affected with pleuro-pneumonia at the post-mortem examinations for the years from December 1, 1887, to November 30, 1888, and from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889:

The above table shows that there were less than half as many new herds found affected in New York during the last year as in the preceding year. There were also less than half as many diseased carcasses found on post-mortem examination in 1889 as in 1888, although the number of carcasses examined was nearly the same. In New Jersey there were only about one-fourth as many affected herds and about one-third as many affected animals, although a greatly increased number of carcasses was examined. In Pennsylvania and Maryland the reduction as shown by the table is even more marked, and is still greater than the figures indicate, as the malady has entirely disappeared from those States during the last quarter of the year.

REGULATIONS CONCERNING TEXAS FEVER.

The losses from the disease commonly known as Texas or splenetic fever have for many years been very heavy. Generally the affected animals are export cattle or steers purchased from stock-yards for fall and winter feeding. In both cases the disease is contracted from the stock-yards or from cars in which cattle from the infected district have been yarded or transported. Occasionally a few southern cattle are mixed with a larger number of northern animals and the whole bunch is sold for feeding. The result of this is that all the northern cattle exposed in this manner contract the malady and most of them die.

A disease which can be so easily prevented by providing separate pens for the susceptible and dangerous cattle, and by promptly cleaning the infected cars, should not be allowed to remain a standing menace to the feeders of the country and an incubus upon the foreign trade in live cattle. To correct this evil the following order was issued:

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, D. C., July 3, 1889.

To the Managers and Agents of Railroad and Transportation Companies of the United States:

In accordance with section 7 of an act of Congress approved May 29, 1884, entitled "An act for the establishment of a Bureau of Animal Industry. to prevent the exportation of diseased cattle and to provide means for the suppression and extirpation of pleuro-pneumonia and other contagious diseases among domestic animals," you are hereby notified that a contagious and infectious disease known as splenetic or Texas fever exists among cattle in the following described area of the United States:

All that country lying south and east of a line commencing at the northeasterly corner of the county of Crittenden, in the State of Arkansas, thence running in a northwesterly direction to the Osage Agency, in the Indian Territory, and thence running southwesterly to the Rio Grande River at the intersection of the southeasterly corner of Pecos County and the northeasterly corner of Presidio County, in the State of Texas.

No cattle are to be transported from said area to any portion of the United States north or west of the above described lines except in accordance with the following regulations:

First. On unloading north or west of this line any cattle in course of transportation to be fed and watered on the way, the places where said cattle are to be so fed and watered shall be set apart and no other cattle shall be admitted into said places. Once a week from the date hereof until the first day of December, 1889, these watering and feeding places shall be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected.

Second. On unloading said cattle at their points of destination the regulations relating to the movement of Texas cattle, prescribed by the cattle sanitary officer of the State where unloaded, shall be carefully observed. The cars that have carried said stock shall be cleansed and disinfected before they are again used to transport, store, or shelter animals.

The cars used to transport such animals and the pens in which they are fed and watered shall be disinfected in the following manner :

(a) Remove all litter and manure. This litter and manure may be disinfected by mixing with lime, diluted sulphuric or carbolic acid, or if not disinfected, it may be stored where no cattle can come in contact with it until after December 1.

(b) Wash the cars and the feeding and watering troughs with water until clean. (c) Saturate the walls and floors of the cars and the fencing, troughs, and chutes of the pens with a solution made by dissolving four ounces of chloride of lime to each gallon of water.

The losses resulting yearly to the owners of northern cattle by the contraction of this disease from contact with southern cattle, and through infected cars, and by means of the manure carried in unclean cars from place to place, have become a matter of grave and serious concern to the cattle industry of the United States. It is necessary, therefore, that this cattle industry should be protected as far as it is possible by the adoption of methods of disinfection in order to prevent the dissemination of this disease.

A rigid compliance with the above regulations will insure comparative safety to northern cattle and render it unnecessary to adopt a more stringent regulation, such as the absolute prohibition of the movement of Texas cattle except for slaughter during the time of year that this disease is fatal.

Inspectors will be instructed to see that disinfection is properly done, and it is hoped that transportation companies will promptly put in operation the above methods.

Very respectfully,

J. M. RUSK,

Secretary.

The effect of this regulation was very marked, but some infected. cars were apparently used between the stock-yards of the interior and the ports at which cattle are shipped, as a number of lots became affected on the voyage and heavy losses resulted. To guard against a recurrence of such cases another circular was sent to the managers and agents of railroad and other transportation companies as follows: U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, D. C., August 10, 1889. To the Managers and Agents of Railroad and Transportation Companies of the United States:

In addition to my order of July 3, 1889, in regard to cleaning and disinfecting cars and pens which have been occupied by cattle liable to disseminate splenetic or Texas fever, I desire to impress upon you the importance of special precautions to prevent the infection of cattle which have been selected for exportation. The number of cattle shipped to Europe has rapidly increased and the trade is probably more promising than ever before. This relieves our markets, gives new vigor to the cattle industry, and proportionally increases the business of transportation companies.

It is feared by shippers that some of these export cattle may become infected from cars which had carried southern cattle before the regulations of July 3, 1889, went into effect. A single shipment of animals thus affected might lead other countries to prohibit the entrance of our cattle and consequently ruin this trade, which is now of so much importance to the country. Not desiring at present to make a regulation requiring that all stock-cars should be cleaned and disinfected before cattle are loaded into them, I would earnestly request the managers of all transportation companies doing business between the interior and the sea-board to make provision whereby all cars, in which cattle for export are to be transported, shall be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected previous to loading, in accordance with the instructions contained in my order of July 3.

Arrangements have been made at New York by which one yard, accessible to all railroad companies, has been set apart exclusively for export cattle. I understand that one of the trunk lines between Chicago and New York has already at the request of shippers instructed its agents to furnish disinfected cars for such cattle, and I trust that all others will immediately give the export trade the benefit of similar precautions, thus avoiding the necessity for an extension of the order of July 8, to include all cars in which cattle are transported.

Very respectfully.

J. M. RUSK,
Secretary.

The regulations were removed on November 1, as the danger for the year was believed to be over at that time. The following circu lar was sent as a notification to interested parties:

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, D. C., November 1, 1889.

To the Managers and Agents of Railroad and Transportation Companies of the United States:

The order of July 3, 1889, prescribing regulations for the transportation of Texas and other southern cattle, and for the isolation, cleaning, and disinfection of pens which have been occupied by such cattle, is hereby revoked. It is believed that the danger from splenetic or Texas fever has passed for the present year.

Very respectfully,

J. M. RUSK,
Secretary.

It is believed that by enforcing regulations similar to those contained in the order of July 3, from an earlier period of the year, this disease can be almost entirely prevented in all portions of the country except the permanently infected district.

GLANDERS.

No new regulations have been made during the year concerning the work for the suppression of glanders in the District of Columbia. A systematic inspection of all the horses in the District has not been attempted, but all reported and suspected cases have been investigated. While the disease has not been entirely eradicated, the results of the action so far taken is very marked and satisfactory. The discovery of a glandered horse on the streets of Washington, instead of being a common occurrence as it was formerly, has become very rare indeed. The number of horses killed during the year because affected with this disease was as follows:

1888: December, 13. 1889: January, 21; February, 1; March, 8; April, 18; May, 8; June, 1; July, 1; August, 1; September, 2; October, 2; November, 1. Total, 78.

UNITED STATES CATTLE QUARANTINE.

The superintendents of the various neat-cattle quarantine stations report the names of the importers and the number and breed of each. lot of animals imported during the year 1889, as follows: