New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-28
THE MASSACHUSETTS, CATTLE DIS
EASE.
AN IMPENDING CRISIS.


receive blow from which it may not recover in many
wears Tie fearful pleuropneumonia, despite the pre-
cautionary measures which have been adopted is
spreading from town to another, and pursuing It's
deadly work apparently unchecked. The earnest
warning uttered two months ago by The TRIBUNE
was not uncaled for AS the developments subsequently
have too sadly proved. Our worst fears are realized
and we feel it duty at this important Juncture TO
call upon the authorities of every cattle-rasng State
to take instant measuresto prevent if possible, the IN
PRODUCTION of the disease within their borders. The
first victims will undoubtedly be the States adjoining
Massachusetts,; but from them the disease will be com
muncated to oheis perhaps the most distant, in turn
The public mind in the infected State is exercised in
view of the probable spread of the conagion, that
the Governor has called special session Of the Legis-
lature, to deyise MEANS and appropriate sufficient
money to extpate it, if possible, at its present stage.
The following il his proclamation:
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
BY MS EA'Elhs' PrRocLAMATioS SASA' oo'A"NoA
Uhyeo BY the second chapter first section nth article Of
advice the Council shall have full power and authority during
The recess Of The General Court to call it together sooner than
fare Of the Commonwealth shall require the same and
Uhyeo' 1t has been communicated to officially BY the
T. 0 provide for the eNpaton of the disease called pero
hat they have stsed themselves that maady extended
broader territory than at FIRST anticipated, and that
additional powers and possibly argerappropaton arerequred
U1eyeas Ills further that probable that with
aid immediate legislative action will afford the object for
% r,op;t that an extra session of he General Court nav be
called for TIE purpose Of considering what further action may be-
Now therefore be L known that deeming the present occa
proper tor the exercise Of the power ia vested
with the advice and consent Of the Council the petition of
Commissioner appointed under said statute the members
OF tie state Board Agriculture, and many other citizens
have thought proper conyoke the General Court Of the Com
ouweah for the consideration Of this special subject that
proper may be taken accordingly therefore issue
h my PROCLAMATION TO the members Of the General Court call
ing them assemble at the State House in Boston, on the
III day May instant at o'clock noon for the purpose to
which reference il herein made
Given at the Council Chamber ai BANKS
BY his Exceency the Governor with
Secretary Of the Commonwealth.
1t has, we believe, been already shown that every
case of pleuro-pneumonia thus far observed has
suited from actual contact or association with animals
in or from the district where the infection first ap
peared; and we at liberty to infer that if proper
sequestraton of the farms and herds had been at first
made, the disease might have become extinct before
this. Cupdity and carelessness, added to natural
ignorance of the real danger have set at naught the
efforts Of the Commissioners to stop the conagion and
it to that there be hope of Graduating
the pleuro-pneumonia except in one way. The Com
mssioners should at ascertain not only what ami
mails at BIookiied, Hubbardstown, Warren Hills,
Pelham and the adjacent places have been exposed to
the disease but Also and especially the destination of
every animal which has been sent from these places for
least months prior to its first appearance in each
town.
Yokes Of cattle cows and calves sold to this place
and that, exported perhaps to Maine, Connecticut,
Rhode Island and Vermont have carried the seeds of
disease with them and possibly in this way the nfec
ton is now firmly fixed in twenty cattle-rasng dis
trics. Should this surmise be correct the dreadful
results only be imagined by reference to the expe-
rience of European States in like situation. In
former Article Oh this subject stated what this expe
rience had been and called attention to the measures
of precaution which in several of the countries
thought necessary. In view of the convocaon of the
Massachusetts, Legislature Thursday next, think
it well restate few of the facts before presented
In 17l4, farmer residing at Poplar, in England
imported two calves from Holland, under circum
stances exactly similar to those which attended Mr.
Cherery's importation Starting from this point,
slowly at first but rapidly means for its
propagation offered, it spread over the length and
breadth Of the land destroying hundreds of thousands
of cattle and continuing its devastating effects with al
most unnitigated severity down to l754-j. Notwith
standing the deep and painful interest which this dis
ease excited and the efforts made by the Government
to stay its ravages, was ascertaned by of the
Commissioners appointed to investigate the matter
tat in NottngLamshire alone 40 900 head of cattle
persisted in six months, and in Cheshire upward Of
30 000 in tie same space Of time.
"By SPECIAL act OF Parliament orders were given:
list For the killing OF all che infected nails and buryng
them entire with the sims 'sashed from head to tall that
trN ~ usp
2d For burning OF al the hay aud straw used about the
3d. the ce5nirg and umigang of the sheds etc and
for oud cattle to be put in them for two months after the
9TH For recovered animal to be allowed go others
foI month after IT, conyalescence
18th Tor diseased cattle to be driven fairs markets
nor for the flesh to be used for dogs, etc
eth FOR no healthy cattle to be removed from farm whse
the disease lad prevailed in lees than month after its dap
And lastly orders were given notice of outbreak
to b. medstey sent by the farmers to the proper aut0r
In one year the third of the existence of the disease
fI25OOO were paid out of the public treasury as a
recompense for the cattle killed according to the pre-
scribed orders During the year $1,000 head OF cattle
were killed because less Infected, and nearly
double that number died of the disease. The prompt
action of the Government although did not eradi-
cate the disease yet much diminished its ravages, and
undoubtedly shortened the period of its sojourn in
England.
In 1857 over $4,000 head Of cattle were slaughtered
or died. in only forty-three villages in Holland, caus
ing distress among the peasantry of lamenable ma
ture. What distress equal mortality among the
neat stock of American farmers, most of them not
over rich, would occasion, may be imagined. Let
pleuropneumOnia get to the prairie country OF
the West and sweep away twenty per cent of the
cattle from which this city is supplied, and what would
he the effect imam tbe railroads and cities that even
under existing circumstances can barely hold their
own? We therefore think it highly necessary that
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and, coming Eastward Penn