New-York tribune., 1881-11-21
STOCK EXPECTATION.
DISEASED AMERICAN CATTLE ABROAD.

CULTURE BY DIR, LHMAN-THE CAUSES of ihE
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE INvEsTIGATED-RE-
COMMENTATORS FOR FUTURE GUIDANCE.
IBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON Nov. 20.-Dr Charles p. Lyman,
veterinary surgeon, who vas sent to England last
summer to make investigations concerning the re-
ports of contagious diseases and the thereof
among cattle and hogs received at British ports
from the United States, has submitted a report to
DR. Loring, Commissioner Of Agriculture. 1t ap-
pears that in January last, the Department OF Agr-
culture was informed by the British Privy Council
that hftv-nine American cattle, which arrived at
London in the steamship France, of the Nationa!
Line Oh January /, 1881. had been found suffering
with foot and mouth disease, and, after inSpec-
tion'Ead been condemned aud killed. Between
that date and March y, when the last lot was con-
demned in London, 1,1G9 animals, being
portions of eight cargoes received at
that port, were condemned: between
March II and June ., 1888 cat lie wrre condemned
at Liverpool, and ON May 81. 80 were condemned
at Glasgow. On the date last mentioned in each
case the disease disappeared rs Suddenly as
it had appeared. OF the condemned animals, 1.l27
were received from New-York between January
and March % 321 from Portland on March Il and
April 7, and l,29l from Boston between January
% aud June Q.
Before DR.. Lyman went 10 Eng3nd efforts were
made by the Department of Agriculture to asccr-
tain whether the sources of disease existed in the
United States. Dr. Lyman says: Careful iuspec-
ton of animals going abroad were made at the
ports of debarkaton. Certain cattle that had been
condemned were traced in tie Eastern yards and
from thence to Chicago. 10 which place Mr..
Mclean, NJ. Il. c. V. s.. was sent. From there
he successfully traced them on to other stock yards
and in a number of instances in,o the stables where
they had been feeding for weeks nOtwiths anding
all of which no indications Of the presence of the
disease could he discovered" II appeared certain
therefore that the disease caused by Infection
communicated to the cattle after they were shipped
from American ports After yery careful inquiries
DR.. Lyman discovered that the vessels, portions of
whose cargoeS If cattle were condemned had
brought to the United States on their outward voy-
ages general cargocs, among which, in many cases,
were such articles as bales Of goat-sSins,' casks
of salted skins" bales of unwashed Australian
wool l""b les of Russian wool, "hales ofraw skins"
casks of wet skins" bundles of grain bags" and
"bundles fhcadrope Inmany cases these articles
were carried in those portions of the vessel which
were occupied by cattle during the return voyage.
Dr. Lyman found, however that upon some of the
vessels upon which the disease was found to prevail
upon their arrival in England, such articles had
been carried on the outward voyage. The fact that
hides, skins and wool had been carried was not
therefore sufficient 10 explain the subsequent ont
break Of the loot and mouth disease on apparently
unaffected vessels.
Cattle shipped to Great Britain, whether from the
United States or from the Continent of Europe, are
tied to stancheons by ropes passed around their
horns these rofe, being technically known as " head
ropes" DR.. Lyman found, after careful in
vestigation, that It is a common practice
TO drive the animals ashore with these
head ropes" still attached 10 their horns Some
times these ropes are detached before the cattle
leave the stock yards, but frequently thcy 20 with
the animal 10 the butcher DIR. Lyman also dscoy-
cred that these head ropes gathered from cattle
received from France and Germany, well as from
the United States, are oftou shipped 10 the United
States to bc used in tying other anmls shipped to
Europe For example among the outward cargo of
the Iowa, which sailed from Liverpool on April T..
were four bundles corn bags. four bundles head
ropes and clghtv-thrca coils Old ropes. The Iowa
sailed from Boston on her return VOYAGE on April
80 with $40 head OF cattle, among which the " foot
and mouth disease" was first discoy-
cred on Nav 7. On the arrival Of
the Iowa 1T Liverpool on May II.
G9f Of the animals wor" condemne1 rs affected
with the disease. Or LYMAN ,ays: "lhc Iowa htS
never carried 10 america from Encl7ud any cat'lc
calves. sheep pigs neither do vessels OF TINS
line c'rrv livestock"
After oarc'ullv summarizing thc results Of his in
0uiTios respecting the circumstances sUrrOUu'iug
the carg0c@ which were fnuud 10 contain IN frcfcd
animals Dr. LYMAN continued "Thc iuvrstiga-
tious far seemed 20 roin' 10 the iact that from
whatever source tie infection had reached The
American animals the vessels themselves in their
general cargoos and management. should be held
hlamclcss and that moi withy'auding n few in
stances in which its apnoarancc MIGHT reason
the outbreaks were directly charrnablc
to the sclf-samc Infection chat had already caUsod
much trouble IN Great Britain, conveyed hy the
indiScrirninatc usc Of the head ropps COMING from
the foreign animals from the wharvcs at Dertrord
and Liverpo'l, which Were At that time hot-hols
Of the disease. Vt remained then to ascertai9
how these premises became infcctive: how
tins infection could have been conveyed 10 these
articles how they. having become imprrCnated
with the virus. could have come in contact with the
ca tie IN such wav as 10 cause the outbreaks
which undoubtedly had taken place in mld-0cran
and not at the same time have been intro. .uced 10
mouth disease first made lis appearance at
the Deptford London yards on some cattle
which were imported from France in Scnt"mh"r
1880. DR.. Lyman quotes from the report Of Pro
feesor Brown. Of the Veterinary Department Of III"
British PTvv Council. for the wear 1850. as fol-
lows: "The disease thus introduced into Dcptforl
foreign cattle market continued 70 suread among
the animals which were landed there, and
as the lairs at that time were
overcrowded with animals rom America, rs well
as from Europe. no opportunity was afforded for
the effective disinfectiOn Of the nlaces whore
diseases existed, and consequently animals which
were perfectly healthy on landing became Infected
soon after entering the arS" The dsca appears TO
have been introduced into the Liver oo stool, wards
hv means Of infection conveyed from English cattle.
DR.. Lyman concludes his report on foot AID mouth
disease as follows: "To prevent future outbreaks
Of the kind, shall recommend for your cOnsidera-
tion that Congress be asked 10 pass law prohibit
ING under certain penalties the Introduction Of all
articles from the foreign animal wharyes of Great
Britain. and that customs officers be directed to en-
force such law"
III I rfst hat l. -,
Britain no diseased hogs were lrnded from the
United States. He quotes from the report nf the
Veterinary Department % the Privy Couu"il for te
year 1879 statement showing that of 27g portious
Of swincs' Aesh taken from American hogs that had
been condemned and slaughtered on account of
swine fever" only three found 10 contain liv-
ing trichine. The British report after giving
as reason why the direct importation
of American porl, not prohibited. that " such