The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-18
Disease Not Prevalent Among Our
Cattle.

disease l. not spreading. ana the attention
called to IL by the action Of the British Gov
ernmcnt, in requiring the quarantine and
slaughter Of cattle from the United States
at the port of landing has started meas
urcs for its repression wherever it does
show ITSELF which are likely to result in
making the health Of our cattle better than
it ordinarily is.
Tho suspicion OF disease among American
cattle was first aroused in England by the
appearance of several marked cases OF
plcurO-pncumonia in number Of animals
which reached Liverpool I'm the Ontario.
The cattle were from both the United States
and Canada, and careful inquiry shows that
they were healthy when shipped. and that
no disease whatever existed IN the districts
whence they came. That pleuro-pneumonia
was not prevalent there was atterward
clearly shown by the arrival in England Of
other cargocs of live cattle taken from the
same regions, among which no disease was
found. But though informed of these facts.
the British Government deemed that it had
sufficient reason to exercise strict procau-
tions against the introduction Of pleuro-
pneumonia from the United States.
Inasmuch a. Canadian cattle. which are just
as liable to disease as our own, are exempted
from the order, It docs not look rs il HAYES
diplomatic agents had been very successful
In their presentation OF the case OF the
United States; and his Secretary OF State
has felt obliged to come ont with a defence II
his action. When inquiry was made last week
in the House OF Commons as to the causes OF
the revocation Of the privileges previously
allowed in the case of cattle exported from
the United States, Lord HAMILTON, Vice
President of the Council. replied that some
time ago they We're informed of the preva-
lence of disease among our cattle, and he
quoted as one OF his sources Of Information
message of the Fraudulent President.
But. as matter OF fact, and IA we have
said. there is no prevalent disease among
our cattle; and II the British Government is
not uuiricndly to the trade in them. it must
before long become convinced that that is
the case and allow their unobstructcd entry
into English ports. Inquiries as to the extent
Of pleuro-pneumonia, addressed by the
Consul General OF Great Britain to the Presi-
dent of the New York College of Veterinary
Surgeons, have elected n report from Mr.
COLEMAN. Professor of Cattle Pathology in
the institution, which shows that the dis
ease is SO rare rs to afford no grounds for
apprehension that il will prove Il serious
evil. There were n few sporadic eases found
in Washington. in n stable near the Capitol,
and they wete at once isolated. II has also
appeared as purely local disease in Penn
sylvania, and shows no tendency 20 spread
from it, original centre one herd oi cows
/ have been affected with il at Matcrtown.
! Conn, and it has broken out among some
| improperly fed cows on Long Island. This
Is about the extent 10 which pleuro-pneumo-
mia has gone so far as yet discovered; and
| the prompt measures used to prevent its
| spread have held it in check and confined it
! to the few cases. Occasional cases of the
disease are always Of sporadic occurrence
| in the ill-managed diaries in aud about this
! city; but they are no more frequent at pres
ent than at any time before, and they excite
no alarm in the localities where they make
their appearance.
Coy. RoBINsoN however, in Wow Of the
suspicion of the wide prevalence Of the dis
ease and its actual existence in some quar-
tors has done wisely in taking steps to
strictly enforce in the counties Of Kings and
! Queens the provisions of the act in relation
to infectious and contagious diseases Of ami
mails, SO that any alarm might be quoted and
the chances OF the spread OF pleuro-pncu-
monia entirely removed. lie could not have
chosen n more efficient agent for his purpose
than Gen. PATRICK OF ManliUs, a man of re-
markable executive ability and OF practical
knowledge Of cattle. Gen. PATRICK has
made New York his centre Of operations,
and has at once gone to work with great
vigor The Board Of Health has united its
forces with his, and it is safe to say that the
disease will not long trouble tie cattle in
this vicinity.
One good effect OF the excitement about
diseased cattle is likely to be the stoppage,
for the time being at lea st, Of the swll milk
business, which has been thriving for sey-
eral years past. Gen. PATRICK ordered a
thousand gallons of this milk to be poured
into Newtown Creek on Saturday and he
will not allow any milk hereafter to leave
the BlissVillc stables where the cows are fed
on swill and which he has placed under
quarantine because OF the presence OF dis
ease in them
These rigorous and intelligent measures
OF precaution against pleuro-pneumonia
must result in convincing the British Cow
eminent, unless it is unwilling TO be con-
| Nlhc'ut lhHL our cdllle may Shlcly enter
English ports on the old terms The
Chairman at a dinner held in Glasgow
last month by the butchers engaged
in the American meat trade remarked
that farmers might be assured that the
coming summer and autumn would be the
worst they had had to face with America,
large freight contracts having been cn-
tered into for the transport Of cattle into
Britain. So large were these contracts that
ho was afrp!d many Of them would never be
completed, rs, If all were fulfilled, cattle
would be rs cheap with us rs in America"
Unless, however the action Of the British
Council is rcscindod, the trade will fall OF
heavily; and llAYEs's Secretary OF State
does not seem to be so conducting his ncgo-
tiatious with the British Government as to
allowus to hore that it will speedily remove
the bars to its progress which it has set up
The Increase of Public Offices.
Loud as the cry has bocn for reform in the
civil service, and creditablo as some of the