, 1860-04-28
Tic Cattle DIstemper at North Brooks
ftnIfi. 1IakK.

[Frum the Springfield Republican. April e&h.]
The commissioners on the catt1e disease con-
tlnued at North Brookfe1d nnd vicinity through
last week, making observations amcug the
cattle herds Of the ncighboriug towns, 50 as TO
trace and define The litaits Of the contagion. On
Saturday, Gov. Banks joined them, and the
character OF the disease was exhibited to him
By killing several additional animals in the herds
among which it exists in marked degree
The vaue Of those bought md killed by the
commissioners, for which the State BY the lew
IS to pay, was, up to Saturday night, S3,1 a
large number. some zoo Or $oo' nave been en-
joined Of put under arressb By the commissioners.
The owners Of these cattle cannot remove them
from their fasms, and with the exception Of
their oxen, not from their barns and yards.
The oxen are allowed to be used upon the farms
Of the owners, There is, in consequence Of the
number Of cattle killed, and the embargo placed
upoa others, and the excitement among the
labor iu the vicinity Of tue locality Of the dis
temper. The Mcssrs. Batchelder, who were
building an nddition to their shoe mandatory
at North Brookfeld, have been Obliged to sus-
pend work upon it in con.c luencc OF their in.
abli:y 70 get oxen to draw the stone and
luaabcr.
The principal source from which theiuiectioa
spre.:, was the congregation, in Dece nber last,
of i tean, Of twenty-six Joke Of oxen to move
building belonging to an lrishman in tue out
ski1ta Of tile town Of North Brookhe!d. On this
OCCASION Z pair OF oxen from the infected herd
Of Leonard. Stoddard formed one Of the big
team," 50 called, and communicated the dis
ease to numerous herds. Eight or ten pairs Of
the oxen in the "big team" hare been con.
demned b; tue commissioners. prior to which
they were worked about town, passing other
cast'e on The highway aad meeting them at tue
grist mill One yoke Of the big team" went
to 0akhaoa aud one to Stu, bridge, beth Of which
H. t,.+-o - %1 +
no disease found. Enough has been seen By
tie commissioners and surgeons TO satisfy them
them that they hare found the limits Of the dis
ease in North Broos1eld and vicinity. There
are eight or ten herds. however, in North Brock
dtld and New. E1aintrce Jet to be examined.
The commissioners will proceed the present
week to these herds, killing one in each TO as
ctrtuiu as to the presence Of the disease.
Ks one result Of tho disease, no milk, butter,
cht ese, real CT beefis taken from the Brook
field stations, unless alter the most rigid inEes
tig.tion into Its autecedeuts. It will be d long
time before the reputation ofthe region will be
recovered. Various rumors are current as to
thomode By wh'ch The disease is spread. One
man named aieade Is Of the opinion that it sas
communicated to his cattle hy means Of his
clothes; he saws he was at Sto1dard's ulamopg
his cattte, aud after he went home his cay i
came around him, snelt Of his frock, and were
aoou attacked There vas report that the
distenper had nppsared in Ware, having been
conveyed in some ha, l=ol tronl barn in North
BrookGeld, in with were infected cattle. 1t
the close OF the examinations On Saturday, the
commissioners requested the people from the
adjoining towns to change their clothes before
Qoiag into their bans.
Is The meat polsunous? is the question in
| which all consumers Of beef, milk and butter
are interested. Up to ceTt4ia stage Of the
disease the meat is not Injurious, though the
commissioners hare prohibited entirely its sale.
In European countries tue sale Of tue beef
Of animals suiIciirS with this disease is legal
'zad. There is p0 virus introduced into the svs-
tenn, and the meat is only injured from the
| b.oad not being purified By the operation Of
perfect lungs.
No dt 'inltc action was taken by the governor
| and commissioners further than to agree upon
convention Of scientific men to be held in
| Boston the present week. Various suggestions
I ~cfe offered upon the best method Of eradica-
| TIM; the disease. and among other questions
| discussed was ll,at Of attempting to arrest Its
progress by inoccuIation. 70 this end it Was
| proposed to convert the farm Of Mr. Woods
into hospital, where experiments might be
1naIe upon di>ensed aud healthy cattle. 1t VIII
also proposed tina; a guaranty fund should be
relSed among the capitalists Of the Stnte 10 IN.
sure the pa5mcat Of apy expense incurred be.
}ond tue present legislative appropriation. a.
there are several hundred cattle yet to be criti-
cally examined aud their treatment decided
upon, it is not improbable that the $4,000 Will
prove an inadequate sual.