, 1879-03-02
PLEURO-PNEU1IONIA.


Ths Mischief Made by Couple Of In
| termeddling People.
ALI About That Sensation at the Stock
Yards.
Areporter TOR this paper ran across DR.. Det
mers yesterday, and, as his name has been II
the papers good deal Of late, took adyantap,
OF the opportunity thus afforded to ask hin
about the charges of incompetency mad.
against him, and also with regard to picuro
pneumonia at the Stock-Yards. Dr. Detmers
in response to the reporters questions, said:
1.-THE position Of Inspector Of Cattle at the
Union stocls-Yards is. not position
OF my seeking l hare been em
| ploYed for come time by. the Department
Of Agriculture in the investigation of so-called
hog cholera, or swine plague.t In the fore part
Of last month l was in the neghborhood OF
Dixon, Lee County, and while there, on the
7th Of February, received q dispatch from the
Commissioner of Agriculture, ordering me to
| 60 at once to the Union Stock-Yards, and in
spect all the cattle shipped from that place as
W plu4t-pACALuVulA Al10 1A44C4 kuUktklOuH U.S.
eases. This dispatch was dated on
the 5th, but it reached me On the
7th. On the sth, l came to Chicago,
once to John B. Sherman, Superintendent OF
the Srock-Yarls II was Saturday, and nothing
could b. done, and Mr. Sherman promised me
his hearty corporation. :;
THE OBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION
was to find out If there was any pluro pneumo-
MIA or other contagious diseases, and in case
pleuro-pncumonia should exist, to find out as
least expense. and damage to the stock
interest. On Saturday, the 15th
dispatch from Washington was published
in Tue TRIBUNE, This dispatch stated that,
plcuro-pneumonia existed at the Stock-Yards..
l had not been able to find any suspicious-1ook-
ing animal, but this dispatch made it desirable
to have assistance. Indced, l was not willing
to assume the great responsibility Of the posi-
tion alone, and telcgraphed to Cen. LIE Duo:
Assistance necessary. Dr.. Prentiss, of Cham
paign, H., most dcsirnbic.'' l received tho
fo!lowin. answer: "Employ DR.. Preutiss
temporarily" That did. He arrived on aon-
day, and assisted me three days. Then be went
commission as Inspector Of Cattle ut the Stock
Yards, and new instructions ordering me to in
yesrigate and examine aIl the cattle arriving at
aud departing from the Stock-Yards. No sus-
Auul1u4 d5 41uuus Atln uD SYI0p-
toms OF plcuro-pneumonia were found until the
e: neon ~ found ' ysasrlng s'f bsifer 0etHas thas
exhibited symptoms Of the disease, Before
that 1 had already concluded to have the first
suspicious-Ioozing animal Killed for post
mortem examination, SO as to establish, II pos
sible, bcvond a:doubt whether pleuro-pneumonia
existed or not. ..s
At THE PosE-MoRrEM ExAM1sAT1os,
all the morbid charges characteristic Of pluero-
pneumonia presented themselves. There was
distinctly limited hepatization in various parts
this, was Obliged, according to my Instructions,
to report immediately to the Commissioner of
Agriculture. As I was directed to keep the
Collector of Customs informed, and having
been cautioned to avoid undue publicity, did
not avail myself of the telegraph facilities at
told Collector Smith what had found. 1 tee-
graphed to the Commissioner Of Agricul-
ture from here. The Collector of
Customs promised to send =, me IN as.
either did not come or failed to see him. The
only persons informed Of what I had discovered
were J. B. Sherman, the owner Of the heller,
Nelson Morris, the Collector of Customs, and
ing Sunday, John B. Sherman and Nelson Nor
ris came to my house to consult with. INC as to
what to do, and VIC arrived at the conclusion to
telegraph to DR.. Prentiss to come up again to I
examine the carcass and lungs Of the |
heifer, and if he also should pronounce |
the disease pleuro-pncumonia, to ascertain if |
possible
WHERE TIE uErEn CAME FROM,
SO as to be able to investigate there, aud il the
disease should be found there to stamp it out ]
1T once. Dr.. Prentiss arrived on Tuesday On
the morning Of that day MIR. Thomas keefe |
made his appearance, aud introduced himself !
Is being sent to my assistance by the Collector /
Of Customs. The carcass and the lungs OF the !
hcifcr were then examined By DR.. Pfentss !
aud myself, in the presence, Of John B.
Sherman, Nelson Norris and Mr.. kcefc. In
he meanwhile it had been ascertained that the
1clfcr had come from Sublette, Lee County, ILL.,,
snd had been sh'ppcd TO- Chicago BY Mr.: ".
Dexter, who lives near. that place. Knowing /
be best to send DR.. Pfcntiss to sublctte in
to Investigate the herd Of Mr.. Dex-
Ter, and also all neighborinS herds with which
lis cattle might haYe been in con-
act. Or: Prentiss started on the
rome received the following dapatcl1 from the
Commissioner Of Agriculture: 'Folow the case
mentioned to its source without delay or undne !
publicity | telegraphed to lie Due that DR..
'rcnIiss had already been sent. with proper iu-
lately. staid at my post in Chicago. As
publicity was threatened BY the ac-
ions and behavior Of Mr.. Keefc,
thu as hesr fs ease S1s an s9aea
ther, in carload OF hogs, and could not very
fell have infected any .uthcr Animal ut the
tocle- Yards, the meat Of the heller not show
u, any suspicious symptoms whatever, aud it
las not quite certain whether We had to deal
18th really contagious pleuro-pneumonin, or only |
ish any more information to MIR. keefc than |
as necessary. On Thursday, before DR.. Pr@n-
ss had returned, and before we had
erfect certainty Of the nature OF the case,