The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-04-15
PLEURo.PNEUnONIA.

PLEURO.PNEUN0NIA.
TAs Result OF an Omeial Invsssaga.
tion-Repors ef the Secretary ef he
Treasury.
WASHINGTON, Aprile
The Secretary of the Treasury has
transmitted to Congress the result of an
investigation made by skilled officers
into contagious diseases affecting ami
mails. In his communication the Secre-
tary says:
"Ti Department Of the Treasury has been
long embarrassed with several questions arls-
ing from the prevalence Of the disease known
cattle. These questions relate: ~ to the ex-
tinctiOn and prevention of the disease in the
United States; % to our commerce With Na-
Britain; 81 to our trade in cattle with the Do
minion of Canada.
with !: view to such legislation as circum-
at this time to submit to Congress some brief
remarks upon the nature of the disease In
question, the history Of its prevalence in other
ment of the provisions Of law now in force and
of the various orders issued by this depart
ment relating to it, and some suggestions as to
or the and
A description and q history Of the disease IL
then at great Length not only
other countries. The value of the cattle inter
est, and the extent Of stock-raising in this
country is described In detail, and an exhaust
i've review Of the various measures that have
been used from year to year In this and other
countries to suppress the plague Is given. The
letter then goes ON to recommend measures to
The only efectual method of graduating the
disease Is by prompt slaughter Of all infected
and exposed cattle. By this method, energet-
oug6ly stamped out in several places in Msss ASA
chusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and other
States. To effect this, however. prompt and
energetic measures are requisite. Several
ready to prevent, to attack and exterminate
the disease wherever it may appear in their
borders. Most States. however, nave adopted
necessary that come measures should be
adopted BY the General Government to PRO-
vent the prevalence of q disease, which, as Ne
ity. 1t is for Congress, and not for this depart
ment, to devise the measures necessary for
this purpose. 1t may not be improper, how
the subject for the consideration Of Congress.
The Legislature of Massachusetts, has recent
ly sent to Congress q memorial requesting
Sion Of this disease; and from all IN quarters
cry is heard that the General Government
should intervene in the matter.
The most obvious method or meeting the
emergency fS, perhaps, the app0inr me1t of q
Veterinary Sanitary Commission, whose duty
1t shall be to promptly investigate all reported
cases of pleurOpneumonia in any part of the
the disease from all parts of the world, and to
report the result Of their investigation to some
department of the Government for publica-
ton.
It would be necessary that such commission
SHOULD be composed, principally at least, Of
veterinary surgeons or experts in the diseases
of cattle. The commission might be small,
consisting Of from three to seven members,
with authority to employ assistants or agents,
who should be responsible directly to the COM
mission. From such commission, even with
no greater powers than have been above indi-
Gated, much good might result.
Owners of suspected herds and their neigh
bOrs would at once be informed whether the
If it were found to exist, State and municipal
authorities might be invoked for its suppress
sion. If found not TO exist, publication of that
the suspected neighborhood, but to the coun.
try and world in general.
Going step further, Government might in
vest such commission with authority, on
proper occasions, to aid municipal and State
authorities in the suppression OF the disease,
and, by means OF appropriation for the pur.
pose, grant proper indemnity to the owners Of
cattle condemned to slaughter. Such proceed
ings would be in close analogy with the
methods adopted for the prevention and sup.
preston of the yellow fever in the acts estab-
Under the provision found in the third sec
ton of the act of June 2, 1879, entitled IAN act
to prevent introduction of contagious and in
fictitious diseases into the United States" It il
provided that
1.-THE National Board of Health shall cooper
ate with, and, so far as it lawfully may, aid
State and Municipal Boards of Health I'm the
execution and enforcement of the rules and
PRODUCTION of infectious or contagious diseases
into the United States from foreign countries
and into one State from another"
1t is understood that this act does not apply
to diseases in animals.
Under this provision large amounts of the
appropriation contained in the act have been
expended in cooperation with the authorities
of several cities and States infected or threat
ened with infection by yellow fever; and it IL
not doubted that, through similar agencies
appropriations by Congress might be properly
cattle.
..o.. 49,. .h~ nritish Mi-,-s.,e 0ls-
mission of some kind, with full power to pre-.
vent and eradicate the disease, in any manner
they think proper. in any part Of the territory
cised by the Privy Council of Great Britain
Without expressing any opinion whether
under the power to regulate commerce, Con.
gress has authority to send its agents into the
commission, herds belonging to citizens, which
may be found to be dangerous to Interstate
or National commerce, it is somewhat doubt
ful whether measures apparently so arbitrary
would meet with hearty cooperation from
State or municipal authorities.
The disease Is not in existence in any of our
western States or Territories. Indeed, It has
existed and is known in only a few States of
the Union; and the propriety Of SO energetic q
movement on the part of the General Govern
ment might not be appreciated in those States
where the disease has not been known. Some
scheme for the prevention and prompt eradi-
cation of the disease seems to BE demanded,
and it is for Congress to define the limits both
OF policy and legality In its enactment.
Inspection of cattle upon railway trains on
our great lines of transportation has been sug-
gested as precautiOn against the conveyance
ton are based upon the fact that contagious
pieuro-pneumOnia is not Indigenous to this
country, that it has never existed in our West
ern States, whence cattle found upon such
lines OF transportation are brought, and that
therefore such inspection is unnecessary.
Again, the disease has an incubation of from
nine to sixty days, during which the seeds of
spector, however skilled. The interest Of ali
shippers of cattle is clearly against the ship
ment of cattle infected with this disease. The
delay Of trains for such inspection would be
to business. Such inspection, as q general
proposition, Is not recommended, while there
is no practical objection to the inspection Of
cattle Dy authorized commissioners, in partiC-
ular cases where the disease is reported to
exist.
CONCLUSIONS.
Having thus given q brief sketch of the his
tory and character of the disease, and state
ment OF the existing laws, the orders of this
Department under them. with some sugges.
tons as to the effect of the disease upon our
commerce with other Nations, and with some
remarks as to appropriate legislation by Con-
gress on the subject, it may be convenient to
state In this place, in the form of propositions,
the conclusions at which this Department has
arrived They are as follows:
1. PleurO-pneumonia is CONTAGIOUS, infec-
tfous lung.fever in neat cattle, as readily COM
inundated among them as smallpox among
mankind, not only by actual contact, but by
excretiOns of all kinds.
2. In this country it has never developed de
novo, but has always been introduced by con-
tagiOn.
8. 1t may be prevented by incubation, but
that remedy 10 not to be thought Of I'm this
country under present conditions.
4. 1t has period of incubation of from nine
to sixty days, usually not exceeding forty; and
its symptoms, when developed, are easily els,
tineuishable by experts from those Of other
diseases.
g. The only proper method of suppressins
the disease In the United States is by the de.
structi0n of all diseased or exposed cattle, and
q thorough publication Of buildings where
they have been kept.
g. No contagious pleuro-pneumonia now ex.
lists or has ever existed in any State west OF the
Allegheny Mountains.
Z. 1t does not now exist in the limited Hto<an