SIXTH AND SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE

BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE BUREAU FOR 1889.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK OF EXTIRPATING PLEUROPNEUMONIA.

The measures for the eradication of the contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle, as given in detail in former reports, have been continued during the year without interruption or modification. The progress of the work has been notable, though not as rapid as would be possible if the Department had sufficient authority to properly enforce its regulations. It has often been found difficult to secure the prosecution and conviction of parties who have violated the State laws under which the regulations are made. Some parties, who have flagrantly and persistently violated the regulations and even assaulted the officers of the Department, have had their cases dismissed by justices of the peace or by the grand juries before which the matter was brought, with the intimation that prosecutions for such offenses would not be countenanced by them.

The great obstacle to the speedy conclusion of this work is, therefore, not in any inherent difficulties in the work itself, but in the impossibility of securing under the present statutes a strict enforcement of the necessary rules. The infected area is, however, constantly decreasing, and the number of herds in which the disease is found is becoming smaller with each quarter. This improvement will be made plain in the tables which follow.

It is gratifying to be able to state that no outbreaks of pleuropneumonia have been discovered during the year in the section of the country west of the Alleghany Mountains. It is also fortunate that no extensions of the contagion have occurred in the Eastern States since the report for 1888 was submitted. The absence of such outbreaks has so increased the confidence of cattle-owners and shippers that our domestic traffic in cattle outside of the infected districts is no longer influenced to any appreciable extent by the presence of this contagion in the country.

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WORK IN NEW YORK.

One year ago pleuro-pneumonia existed in the counties of Orange, New York, Kings, and Queens. No cases have been discovered in Orange and New York Counties since June, 1889, so that the disease has been confined for the last five months to Kings and Queens Counties. These two counties have long been the oldest and worst infected sections of the country. Many of the dairymen are unfavorably disposed towards the work of eradication and are unwilling to submit to the regulations. Cattle in many instances have been pastured upon the commons and moved from stable to stable without permit. Exposure in this way accounts for many of the new cases of disease which have been recently developed.

Many stables in the infected districts are without ventilation. They are so constructed that it is impossible to keep them in a proper sanitary condition. There are accumulations of filth under the floors, and the wood-work is rotten and porous. Such buildings can not be satisfactorily disinfected, nor can they be held without stock a sufficient length of time after the diseased herds are removed to insure safety. The result is that in some cases the plague has appeared several times on the same premises.

To prevent these re-infections is one of the most difficult problems which is to be solved. In Maryland there was for a time the same difficulty, and it was removed in the worst cases by the State LiveStock Sanitary Board condemning and destroying such buildings as could not be properly disinfected. The compensation in such cases was made from the State appropriation. This Department has up to the present declined to expend any part of the appropriation for the purchase and destruction of buildings, but in certain cases in the badly infected districts of Long Island such action may become necessary for the success of the work.

From December 1, 1888, the date to which the figures were given in the previous report, to November 30, 1889, there were inspected in New York 15,861 herds, containing 149,396 head of cattle. Of this number 137,688 were re-examined by the non-professional assistants, and 33,135 were tagged with numbers and registered upon the books of the Bureau.

There were 156 new herds found affected with pleuro-pneumonia during the year, and these herds contained 3,014 animals, 249 of which were pronounced diseased when the inspections were made. There were purchased for slaughter during the same time 1,053 affected cattle, at a cost of $28,210.05, an average of $26.79; also, 2,819 exposed cattle, at a cost of $59,908.93, an average of $21.25. The smaller cost of the exposed cattle as compared with the affected ones is due to the fact that the amount which the owner realized for the carcasses was deducted from the appraised value, the Department paying the balance.

It has been found necessary to disinfect 339 stables, stock-yards, or other premises during the year, and also to make post-mortem examinations upon the carcasses of 15,375 bovine animals, of which 1,012 were found diseased with pleuro-pneumonia.

The total expenses in New York from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, have been $187,814.99, of which $88,118.98 was paid. for cattle purchased for slaughter as either diseased or exposed. The remainder constitutes the expense for disinfection, inspection, tagging, registering, supervising the movement of cattle, post-mortem

examinations, and all the various expenses incident to a work of this character.

WORK IN NEW JERSEY.

In this State the operations have been almost entirely confined to Hudson County, with the exception of a large diseased herd found in the distillery stables at East Millstone, and three affected herds in Essex County which were infected by cattle taken by dealers from Hudson County in violation of the quarantine regulations.

The State Board of Health has for more than six months been desirous of removing the quarantine restrictions from Hudson County, but has consented to maintain them up to the present time upon the urgent representations of this Department that such action was necessary to the success of the work. It is doubtful if proper regulations can be continued in New Jersey under the present system of co-operation until the contagion is completely eradicated. The importance of success here is exceptionally great because of the traffic in cattle between the infected district in New Jersey and the neighboring counties in New York. If the disease should again become prevalent in the former State it would be difficult if not impossible to prevent the re-infection of Westchester and New York Counties in the latter State. There would also be great danger of the infection of cattle destined for shipment to Europe from the port of New York, many of which go through the New Jersey stock-yards. To properly protect this enormous trade between the States and with foreign countries greater powers are required than are now possessed by this Department.

From December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, there were inspected in New Jersey 8,455 herds, containing 76,001 head of cattle. Of this number, 39,287 were re-examined by the non-professional assistants, 11,672 were tagged with numbers and registered upon the books of the Bureau.

There were 48 new herds found infected with pleuro-pneumonia during the year, and these herds contained 964 animals, 81 of which were pronounced diseased when the inspections were made. There were purchased for slaughter during the same time 116 affected cattle at a cost of $2,659, an average of $22.92 per head; also 704 exposed cattle at a cost of $16,592, an average of $23.57.

It has been found necessary to disinfect 208 stables, stock-yards, and other premises, and also to make post-mortem examinations upon the carcasses of 14,242 bovine animals, of which 189 were found diseased with pleuro-pneumonia.

The total expenses in New Jersey from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, have been $69,345.42, of which $19,251 was paid for cattle purchased for slaughter, because they were either diseased or had been exposed.

THE WORK IN PENNSYLVANIA.

As indicated in the last report, quarantine restrictions at Philadelphia were removed on December 15, 1888, and at that time the greater part of the force of the Bureau stationed there was withdrawn. It was deemed advisable, however, to retain at that city two veterinary inspectors and two assistant inspectors for the purpose of maintaining a supervision of the Philadelphia stock-yards, and to watch the slaughter-houses and rendering works for a few months, in order that any re-appearance of disease might be

promptly detected. The wisdom of this course was made apparent on December 31, when our inspectors discovered at the Philadelphia stock-yards a herd of cattle having contagious pleuro-pneumonia. These cattle had been shipped to Philadelphia from the Somerset Distillery stables at East Millstone, New Jersey. On being slaughtered, seventeen cases of contagious pleuro-pneumonia were found on post-mortem examination. All cattle that had come in contact with this herd were promptly quarantined and slaughtered, and the stock-yards were thoroughly disinfected. The railroad cars in which these cattle had been transported were traced to Altoona, Pa., where they were disinfected by officers of the Bureau.

An

Under date of September 11, the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture informed this Bureau that a herd had been discovered by the State officers in Chester County, Pa., having contagious pleuro-pneumonia, that the State veterinarian had killed two animals, and on post-mortem examination had pronounced them to be affected with contagious pleuro-pneumonia in an acute form. officer of the Bureau was detailed to visit that locality but failed to find any evidence of lung plague among animals there inspected. For the reason, however, that the premises on which the disease had been reported to exist was a public cattle or drove yard from which cattle were transported to Wilmington, Del., the stock-yards at Philadelphia, and into other channels of interstate commerce, it was thought necessary, in order to protect the cattle industry of the country from any possible danger, that these premises, and also all cattle that had been in contact with the herd reported to have been diseased, should be strictly quarantined. This was done; and in addition the stock-yards at Chester, where the disease was said to be, were thoroughly disinfected. The quarantine was maintained for ninety days, and at the end of that time, no evidence of lung plague having developed, all restrictions were removed.

With these exceptions no contagious pleuro-pneumonia has been found in Pennsylvania during the year, and it is thought that the contagion no longer exists there.

From December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, there were inspected in Pennsylvania 1,311 herds, containing 24,003 head of cattle. Of this number 1,285 were re-examined by the non-professional assistants, and 1,513 were tagged with numbers and registered upon the books of the bureau.

There were no herds in the State found by our inspectors to be affected with pleuro-pneumonia. There were purchased for slaughter eleven exposed cattle at a cost of $190, an average of $17.27 per head.

It was considered advisable to disinfect six stables, stock-yards, and other premises; 13,412 post-mortem examinations were made upon the carcasses of bovine animals, of which 17 were found diseased with pleuro-pneumonia.

The total expenses in Pennsylvania from December 1, 1888, to November 30, 1889, have been $8,856.25, of which $190 was paid for exposed cattle purchased for slaughter.

WORK IN MARYLAND.

The progress of the work in Maryland has been extremely satisfactory. With the active sympathy of the Governor and AttorneyGeneral, and the earnest co-operation of the Live-Stock Sanitary Board, the quarantine regulations have been enforced and the contagion has been eradicated. Only five herds affected with pleuro.