New-York tribune., 1879-05-24
THE CATTLE CONTAGION.

HERDS OF THE wEsT.
A conference has Just been held in Philadelphia
by the Agricultural Health officers OF the three
States of New-York, New-Jersey and Pennsylvania,
at the request of Mr.. Edge, the recently appointed
officer of the latter State. The best of harmony
exists between General Patrick and Professor Law
who are trying to exterminate tho cattle disease
from this State. Colonel William II. Sterling. the
Agricultural Health officer of New-Jersey and hr.
Edge and il is proposed that the three States shall
work in concert in the campaign against the dread
ful malady which is prevalent among the cattle OF
this region.
II is the opinion Of General Patrick that the sick
cattle on the steamship Ontario, which created SO
much alarm in England in January last. and whose
arrival at Liverpool drew forth the British orders
IN Council were not infected with contagious
pleuro-pneumonia. Nevertheless, the contagious
type of the disease has really been prevalent IN
certain region of the United States for thirty-six
wears. and Is now raging violently, and there IS
every reason IN the world for the active campaign
now in progress for the suppression of the disease
II is not believed that the public are aware OF the
serons nature of the contagion which is now devas-
tonq the herds of cattle in this part of the country
The latest information received by General Patrick,
Colonel Sterling and the Department OF Agricui-
ture at Washington, shows that contagious pleuro-
pneumonia prevails from Fairfield county
in Connecticut. SuIOlk ODuHty oh N'"S
Island and Westchester County on the man
land. through all the Atlantic Coast States as far
south rs North Carolina at least. 1t exists in Con-
neeticut New-York, New-Jersey, PENNSYLVANIA,
Delaware MARYLAND and Virginia. How much fur
ther South it goes no one yet knows As 1t exists III
virulent form at Lynchburg, Va, and sonth
thereof in Halifax County on the border of North
Carolina, it is feared that it may have crossed the
border and that inspection would reveal It's exist
ence In North Carolina, too. Professor Law, Whlle
at Washington recently, was supplied with list
of twenty-five dairies in Fairfax County, va,
alone at each of which daires from three to four
teen cattle had died with contagious pleuro-
pneumonia within the past year.
This is a serious state of affairs for these seven
States contain more than 6, 100000 head of cattle,
md they are the States which distribute fine stock,
Jerseys Ayrshires, etc., TO the rest OF the country
THE CAMPAIGN NOW IN PROGRESS.
In this State where the disease was introduced
An 1913 and has existed ever SINCE there have been
killed bv order of General Patrick, on Long Island
and in and around New-York City, about 145 cattle
so badly off with the contagious pleuro-pneumonia
that their bodies had to be destroyed and their
hides cut TO pieces with knives so that they should
not be carried off and thus spread the contagon.
About 17j head of cattle have been killed by ORDER
in order to save them for beef. They were slightly
infected. About 800 more have been killed by
their owners because they had been exposed to III
faction and it was thought prudent TO kill them for
beef.
When General Patrick began operations early IN
February, as many as eighteen OF twenty head were
killed every week. The cOntagion has been so en-
ergetically dealt with that until lately the
number killed per week has been only two or
three. Just now it is about ten week. Six or
seven counties in this vicinity have been placed
under what is almost martial law, the removal OF
cattle from one to the other having been expressly
forbidden unless the cattle had first been IN
spected and received special permit. Premises
have been disintected, and an active Inspection OF
herds aud stables has been practised, III order
ease in Quarters mot previously suspected.
These measures have been effective, and much pro-
eTess mas been made toward extirpatng the disease
To show how persistent and vlrulent Is the cOnta-
gion, however, and how easily it may be spread; it
NAV be stated that within the past week there has
iSIanS Where it had once been extirpated A drove
of calves, taken into that county last January,
carried t6e plague with them, and the new outbreak
has taken place where these calves have been.
There Is also new trouble IN NeStchestef County
and at Greenwich in Connecticut
In New-Jersey, the veterinary stall OF Colonel
Sterling has found the contagious pieuro-pneumonla
in the Counties of Bergen, Hudson, Morris and
Mercer, and elsewhere. Up TO date lhey nave IN,
spected ., 800 head of cattle By order OF CQionGI
Sterling, 81 herds have been quarantined,
containing All head OF stock. 17S of winch
were sick. Fourteen head haye been Killed.
The contagon has existed III New-JerseY since
1S49 and has at all times been NiIuleht' MI;
Thomas Richardson once lost $1O.OOO worth OF
vananIe cattle i'm consequence OF this disease. Al
though the annual losses III New-Jersey nave Deeh
iarOe there has been organized effort to suppress
tbe disease until this Spring and the result that
Colonel Sterling has a work OF great gravity on
lis hands in the extrpatlOn OF the contaSIoh from
In t6e other four States little or nothing has yet
been done In Delaware, Mary land and virginia
nothing at all has been dOne because those States
Iave no laws concerning contagious diseases
among cattle, and veIy little money IN the pubic
treasury TO carry out laws with, even II they hld
them The great stock-rasing States of the coun-
try are to-day completely at the mercy OF the
owners of sick cattle III Delaware, MaIyland and
Virginia aid of cOnscienceess small dealers who
would not hesitate "A moment TO carry "a SICK nero
westward and infect new region IL they couid
make a few dollars profit from the TRANSACTION:
There are beyond the Alleghanies abOut 80 100000
head of cattle. The security of this property is
absolutely dependent to-day on what is being done
in SIX or seven Coast states Win reference 10 con-
None OF the States of the country which export
cattle and do not import have yet been called upon
to tight this cOntagon. Inc disease Is always due
TO importation wherever found. Ihele are certain
parts OF the world where 1t has never existed be,
cause of this fact Among them are the Cnannei
IsIands the Highlands of ScOtland, parts OF Nor
mandy and Brittany, the countries OF spain aud
Portugal, aud the great West IN America. These
regions export stock habltually, but have never
imported least snce the haia'iy !ade l's appear
auce in the Northeast and North Oh Europe; lheVery
case where the malady has broken ont OF laIe years
fbe troube can be traced ri g 10 the particular COWS
or herds which being imported brought the disease
i'm their systems. The security OF the valleys OF ne
Ohio and Mississippi aud the plains of the West has
beer due i'm part to the fact that, while they have
sent countless head of cattle East, they nave hot
1mported FROM the East to any large extent 1t Is
certain however that the contagion will reach that
region eventually if dairymen continue TO Buy Line
.teaJ m states where the disease prevails and the
fact that a COW brought from ONO not long ago TO
Clinton, New-Jersey, is believed TO have brought
the pieuro-pneumonia with il, shows that 1t has
.nnss,bly gone as far westward as ONO already.
WHAT THIS PLAGUE COSTS.
That the general prevalence of contagious plcuro-