Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-06-02
THE CATTLE DISEASE.

~N~E~N' 10
lows
Animals killed, diseased, 1856; animals ex-
posed, pronounced sound, and killed-cows,
lS9; heifers, years old, 61 heifers, years
old, Al oxen, So; steers, years old, "a
steers, years old, "a yearings, "a calves,
10Y bulls, 8; animals not described, 80. To-
tai, $40. The appraised value of all these an
imals, sound and diseased, is $50, 432 SO.
1t is estimated that the number of animals
diseased, exposed and suspected, is as fol.
lows North Brookfield, $50; South Brook.
field 800; West Brooktield, 60: 0akham, so
New Braintree, 255; Sturbridge, so; Spen-
Ger, so; Hubbardston, 10; Pelham, 10. To.
tai 1867
The commissioners say :-"These animals
the commissioners have endeavored in every
possible manner to isolate. In many cases
single animals are kept separate from all
others. Farms vacated by slaughter have
been occupied by animals Immediately sur
rounding them, in order to prevent the pas
sage of the contagion into pastures a second
remove beyoud And every temporary ex-
pedient has been resorted to, for the purpose
of checking the disease, until the commission
ers shall receive that aid, which is necessary
for the carrying out of the act, under which
they were appointed.
1t will be remembered that the commission
was established by an act providing for the
ertirpdtion of the disease among cattle called
euro,pneumonia. No other power was con-
terred by the act, and it is reasonable to sup.
pose that the legislature which passed the act
felt satisfied that no other effectual remedy for
fhe disease had been found to exist. That the
disease was highly contagious, every scientific
man and every farmer in Europe, who had OBJ
served it, knew too well, All that medicinal
agents had accomplished was to prove that no
remedies of that character would reduce the
per centage of deaths in the infected herds.
incubation alone had not been found to pro-
duce any effect in checking the ravages of the
disease; and even this desperate measure had
not after many years trial. The pathological
phenomena of the disease has been carefully
investigated by the best science in Europe and
had been recorded for the benefit of the most
ardent scientific curiosity in this country The
experience of cattle-husbandmen in Africa and
Australia whittier the disease had been carried
from Holland, has proved that eXtirpatiOn and
isolation alone could stay it. Quarantnes and
hospitals seemed to be the expensive advan.
tages required by the enthusiastic explorer
entire destruction the remedy demanded by
the practical farmer. 1t was evident that
disease which could be carried in the system
for months, and could be borne from one end
of the earth to the other, a disease whose con-
particular stage, disease which, even when
not fatal, is sure to leave its mark behind to
depress and enervate,-it was evident that
such a disease could not be trifed with nor
the possible danger of its escape be incurred,
for the benefit OF experiment, however well
conducted. For the safety of the great agri-
cultural interest of Massachusetts, and to pre-
serve our country from a calamity whose con
sequences can hardly be estimated, the act of
extirpation was passed by the Massachusetts
legislature"
They say, also, that it is physically impossi-
BILE for them to contend with the evil without
authority to employ agents in the several in
tected Districts and they require, moreover,
the assistance of town authorities, in estab-
fishing sanitary regulations and sanitary po-
lice. Whatever may be decided in regard to
large appropriation to continue the work OF
cattle, the su questions relative to
having the towns establish precautionary mea-
sures against the disease, deserve attention.
The governor speaks of the matter very sem
sibly in his address, and we hope that his re-
concentrations relative to granting the towns
special powers for this purpose will be adopt
ed. Two OF the commissioners, Messrs. Loring
and Walker, appeared, Thursday afternoon,
before the special committee of the legislature.
Mr.. Walker gave statement of the rise and
progress Of the disease, contending that it was
not infectious. He urged that the
had gone to the extent of the
and the continued prevalence of
the disease led them to petition for this meet
ing Of the legislature. DIR. Loring stated that
842 cattle had been killed, and that there were
1000 more which must be killed or isolated.
He thought that 100000 would be required
to exterminate the disease. He was satisfied
that it had been stopped on the western line,
formed by the road from West Brooktield to
Ware. Propositions have been received from
several eminent agriculturists, and were read
to the committee. Among them was a letter
from ex governor Lincoln, expressing his great
solcitude in regard to the action OF the egisla-
ture, and offering the form of an enactment to
protect the public from imposition by the sale
or transportation of exposed or diseas ed cat
tie. On Friday morning, DIR. Loring again
appeared before the committee. He said he
never knew any other disease of the lungs in
the animal kingdom to be contagious He did
not think treatment would result in stopping
the progress OF the disease. 1t had been stat,
ed by good authority that treatment had only
succeeded in five per cent. He thought that
treatment here would not cure more than 10
or 20 per cent. The herd of Mr. Chenery
had been treated but about one.half had died.
The system of killing, and also of isolating,
was practiced with success in Denmark. This
system was believed to have stopped the dis
ease, and its breaking out again was only due
to an importation from Hungary. The Doctor
re-affirmed his faith in the contagiousness of
the disease. This was not questioned in Eu.
rope. John A. Andrew and Francis w. Bird
appeared in behalf Of the remonstrants against
any further appropriations for slaughter.
In the House of Representatives Friday,
Mr.. Burnap of Westboro' presented the peti.
ton of the inhabitants of Westboro', by the
selectmen of the town, asking for law as
soon as may be, empowering and requiring
the several cities and towns to take immediate
measures to prevent the spread of the disease
called pleuro-pneumOnia. Mr.. Pierce of Dor.
chester presented the memorial of the Massa-
chusetts Medical Society, adopted at its re-
cent meeting, as follows "Whereas disease,
the nature Of which is not well understood
aud the treatment of which has been to a re-
narkable degree unsuccessful is now prevail
ing among the cattle in this commonwealth,
and whereas the legislature is convened this
day to consider THIS specific object, therefore,
Resolved, That committee of nine, from
the Massachusetts Medical Society, be ap-
pointed by the chair, to urge upon the legisla-
ture the establishment of scientific commits.
sion TO investigate said disease"
The committee consists of Drs. Jacob Bige.
low, George Hayward, Henry l. Bowditch,
John Il. L. jackson of Boston, Oramel Mar.
tin OF Worcester, John G. Bartlett of Chems.
ford, johnson Gardner Of Pawtuclet Calvin
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