Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-12
THE CATTLE PLAGUE AGAIN

IhS CAI1LE fLAGUE AGAld
On Tuesday this week, the five commission
ers on the cattle disease, with two of the med.
cal eXaminers-to wit Drs. Martin and Ellis
visited the herd of Mr.. Chenery, in Belmont.
We believe the commissioners had some
thought of Strengthening the whole herd but
more judicious thoughts finally led to the
adoption of a better policy. Mr.. Chenery's
animals are supposed to be more or less affect
ed by the disease, although it is not apparent.
They eat well and seem to be in health, so far
as external appearance goes. After eonsidera-
bic investigation and consultation, it was de-
cided to use Mr. Chenery's barn as a hospital
for the most suspicious animals of this herd,
and leave them for time to the supervision of
the medical examiners. Seventeen of them
were selected for this purpose.
Yesterday, the five commissioners, and one
OF the medical examiners DIR. Martin, with
some other gentlemen, went to East Lexington,
where the disease was supposed to be. As this
case is quite instructive, we hope it will have
due attention. The allegation was that there
were three cows in East Lexington that were
badly affected by the disease, that they had
taken itfrom Mr. Chenery's oxen, and that two
heifers that had run with these cows had carried
the disease into New Hampshire. A pair of
Mr.. Chenery's oxen had the disease in 1859
and recovered from it, so that in November
of that year they were well and were capable
of work as before and they have been worked
regularly ever since. On the 11th day of
May, 1860 these oxen stood in the barn of Pc
ter Wellington, in East Lexington, long
enough to have the wagon attached to them
loaded with hay. In this barn. at the time,
were three COWS belonging to Edward Multi
kin, and on the premises somewhere,-per-
haps near the barn, and perhaps at a great
distance from it, no one knows certainly, were
two heifers that were very soon afterwards
taken into New Hampshire.
II is believed by intelligent experts that the
oxen were at that time no more capable of
communicating the disease than if they never
had it; but others, with feeling of panic in
their bones, maintained that the cows had taken
the desease and were terribly afflicted with it.
After an examination, yesterday, two of these
cows were slaughtered; but not sign of the
cattle plague could be discovered. They were
entirely free from it and always had been so.
This result was contrary to the confident ex-
peetations of some OF those present 1t shows
how utterly unwarranted are some of the pan
les that spring up suddenly in various localii-
ties, and how much need there is of judicous
management on the part of those who have
charge OF the matter. This case also makes
it probable that the panic that has been started
in New Hampshire is without cause. There
is no reason to believe that case of the dis
ease has occurred in that srate
There is one fact that should have attention.
Not case of the disease has occurred in Bel
mont, or anywhere in that vicinity save in
the herd of Mr.. Chenery. His cattle have
had the disease very badly, and some
twenty or thirty of them have died of it, but
not in a single instance has the disease passed
from them to any other herd in that neighbor-
hood. The malignant pleuro-pneumOnia first
appeared among his animals in May, 1859.
They were kept through the summer of that
year in pasture adjoining which were the
pastures Of neighboring farms in which were
many cattle. But not one of these neighbor-
ing cattle took the disease. All interested in
the matter may learn something useful from
this fact. We think it doubtful whether this
plague has existed anywhere in Massachusetts,,
save in Mr.. Chenery's herd and in some of
the herds in and around Brookfeld. 1t is
time for everybody to dismiss panic and use
common sense.