National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-12
pLEuRo-PNEuMoNfA.
The Origin OF This Disease Among Cattle
and the Way 20 Cure It.

A meeting of members of the house com.
mttee ON agriculture and the members Of the
committee of cattle men appointed recently
at Chicago was held yesterday morning at the
capitol A general discussion of contagious
diseases among cattle was INDUCED in. Tho
committee of cattle men, in answer to in
quiries Of the representatives present, said
that the disease existed in Delaware, District
of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vir-
ginia, Connecticut New York, and possibly
in other places. In New York few counties
were reported as infected. Mr.. Hunt, of New
Jersey, said If congress would appropriate an
adequate amount, payable to the order of the
authorities of the different states, and would
protect New Jersey for six months from the
importation of diseased cattle, that state
would, in six months, stamp out pleuro-pneu-
monia in its own territory. In answer to
Representative Hatch, DIR. Law, of the cattle
commission of the treasury department, eaid
the disease was undoubtedly the result Of i'm
portation. lilo said. that with plenty of
money and federal law IL could be eradi-
Gated In twelve months New York city had,
at one time, stamped IL out in three months
DIR. Law advocated the burning Of buildings
where the disease occurred.
Judge Carey, Of Wyoming, gave history
of the disease, saying that It was Asiatic
cholera, spreading through Europe and
reaching New York about forty years ago.
IL existed in the continent of Europe, Great
Britain, Australia, Now Zealand. and this
country. All that saved the west from the
disease was that the line of transportation
was from east to west Had it been other
wise the western plains would have been
infected, and once in existerce there 1t would
spread over the entire country, and could
not be stopped lie said $100000,000 was
invested in the cattle business Of the United
States.
i. 4
of Illinois, had offered 81 900 reward for an
animal infected with pleuro-pneumonia, but
no one had accepted the offer.
Several members Of the cattle committee
at once offered to show the disease to anyone
doubling its existence.
Representative Weller gave notice that he
would offer bill appropriating Sl0,O00,0O0
by the government for the suppression of
contagious diseases in cattle, this sum to be
distributed among the states and territories
in the ratio of representation in congress;
provided, however, that each state appropri-
ate sum equal to the amount given it by
the government.
After the adjournment of the meeting at
the capital the subcommittee Of CATTLE men
appointed yesterday to prepare memorial
to congress and to formulate bill, express
ing the desire of the Chicago convention, met
at tho department of agriculture Both the
memorial and bill it is expected will be
ready to submit ON Monday. They will be
given to the house committee on agriculture,
and the bill will be considered by that body
before it is reported to the house. The me-
mortal will recite what has been done by the
department of agriculture with the appro-
| priations that have been made for it, the
result Of certain experiments in regard to
contagion and incubation, and the value OF
live stock in the United States, together with
statistics in reference to expectation. The
ngls,
of cattle known to be diseased penal of
Tense, to establish cattle bureau in the de
partment of agriculture, to increase the power
of the commissioner of agriculture, to pro-
vide funds for au elaborate investigation o
diseased cattle, and to provide an appropria
ton for the purchase of diseased cattle tina
they may be destroyed. The appropriation
to be asked for the first year will probably
amount to 100000, though q smaller sun
may be determined upon.