Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-11-10

HON. j. b. MEAD, STATE superintendent
of agricultural Afairs,-DEAR SIR
Pursuant to your directions | visited the
herd of cattle in Fairlee said to be diseas-
ed, and beg to report That about the first
of August last MIR. Gardner S. Melendy of
Fairlee, about twenty-three years old,
went to Cambridge, Vt, and there and in
Underhill, Fairfield, Fletcher, and posi-
bly, other towns, purchased seventv-six
head of cattle, to wit,-forty- calves
and thirtv-three warnings, and drove
them home to Fairlee, arriving August
18th. These were all turned into Il NOW
ing lot near the house. a dry upland piece
with good feed; but after Il few DAYS he
selected twenty yearings and drove them
to pasture about mile away, called the
"Stratton lott At the same time he
turned ten head into another pasture about
two miles away, and in the town of West
Fairlee, known as the " King lot" and
about a week later twenty five calves into
the moving, in the same lot.
In about ten days or two weeks, and on
Wednesday, September Sth, Melendy
found steer sick in the Stratton pasture,
and drove him home. His eyes were sore
and running, as did also his nose and
mouth-coughing and discharging offens-
i've smelling matter. He lived till Sunday
morning the 18th. He was buried With
out skinning.
About II week after calf at home was
noticed as growing poor and coughing
continued so for four or five days and died
On Friday, September oath, he visited
the cattle in the King lot and noticed
nothing wrong. On the Monday following
man came down and told him one was
dead, and visiting the lot he found it So
Up to this time he had thought of
nothing dangerous in the herd; but when
he came home he looked over those
there and found four or five coughing and
anting, and about the middle of tile
week found another dead at night which
went ont with the rest in the morning.
On the Sunday following he visited the
King lot and found the animals coughing
and with symptoms AS before stated and
also found the selectmen of West Fairlee,
who advised him to drive home those
worst affected, and the Thursday after he
drove five head to the home lot.
On Saturday, October I'd, another died
and on Tuesday another, which was open.
ed, several persons being present, but nc
veterinarian or physician, but they thought
the lungs diseased.
Up to the time Of my visit, the 8th
instant, six had died | found eighteen
calves in moderately siding moving
lot, through portion of which runs a
brook. There is also barn, with ward
and shed well Uttered with straw where
they are herded nights.
Of those niu htaan oil hn. Co., -. q 49,
animals show unmistakabe signs of dis
ease, the symptoms of which are, a severe
cough, rapid and painful respiration, one
animal one hundred and thirty per minute
every breath grunt; another eighty five
ETC.; tenderness to conclusion on the
chest; enact ton according to duration
OF disease; coat staring; nostrils very rec
with some offensive discharges in some
cases. had one, which was evidently in the
last stage of the disease, slaughtered, ano
made some examination of it. The bowels
and liver seemed to be in a healthy condi
ton, but the lungs were almost completely
hepatized. presenting the appearance of ar
unhealthy liver.
Besides this there were present in tn,
lungs in considerable numbers the small
unread ike worm. StrOagyluS | took thu
lungs away with me, part of which | sen
to Prof. G. Ii. Perkins, university of Yer
mont and state agricultural college: par
to Prof. G. P. Frost, Dartmouth medica
college, and part to DR.. Allen. the mem
Der of the present House of Representa-
tives, from Hartford.
In my opinion the disease is such as [,
excite fears of the gravest character TO
the safety of the cattle of the state, and t.
call for the prompt adoption of sucI
thorough measures as shall prevent it
spread and secure its extinction where i
exists.
The growing of cattle is perhaps tn,
chief industry of the section where tn,
disease is located, and the people ar,
greatly alarmed and excited by it's pres
ence.
have prepared brief sketch of tn
history of the Lung Plague" in thi
country, with some incidents of its prog
ress and conclusions as to its charncte
reached by eminent scientific authority
which submit in a separate report.
l wish to acknowledge the hearty co