Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-05-28
ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST
PLEURO PNEUMONII DREAMS
OUT dFR ESIT.
Our Cattle Owners Much Alarmed
A Fresh Outbreak Of Contagious
PicurO-H'ncumOnia State Off
ciaIs 40 Enforce the LAW.

The fresh outbreak of contagious
pleuro- pneumonia among the cattle il
this vicinity has reawakened the alarm
felt among the farmers when the diseast
| was first reported TO be prevailing in thii
| vicinity last fall. The contagion wns
detected Inst week in two herds heretofor,
unaffected, one of which is pastured on /
farm In Brandywine hundred, and tn,
other is owned by IL Christiana hundred
| farmer. Both herds are large and the
disease is making vicious ravages in them
The fact that there are now no state
officials to enforce the all-inportant laws
relating 10 quarantine, &C., very much
increases the alarm, and leaves the con
tagion untrammeled TO spread through
the State. The meagre pittance, $500,
granted by the Legislature to meet the
| expenses OF the officials in stamping out
the disease hns been expended, and their
terms are consequently Mt nm end.
| At this time there are IL herds of cattle
under quarantine, and the danger of the
disease spreading TO adjoining dairies in
case the quarantine laws are violated, is
very great. In fact, it is regarded by
those who are familiar with the nature of
the contagion, as being impossible for the
II
the affected ones are turned ont to Craze.
With the pneumonia laws dead letter,
| there is very strong ground for the fear
that in short time the county, and, III
fact, the state, will be invaded by the
dreaded pest.
The inoculation process resorted to by
the State veterinarian was wonderfully
successful, in no instance failing to protect
h. l1 ,,fhn al,
| existed. The majority of the herds
quarantined have been inoculated and
while the animals are probably in little
| danger of the plague affecting them, they
| can readily communicate it to others not
| similarly protected. The State veteri-
| marian reports the existence of number
| of chronic cases, which are constant
| menace to the safety of other herds. The
only way of obyiating this difficulty is to
kill all the chronic cases, and even with
this precautioh it will in DIR. Rowland's
opinion take considerable time-a year
| or two, at the least before the disease can
be rooted out, even should the officials be
entirely successful in carrying out the
full provisions of the law.
That the endorsements of the law
should fail for the want of money to pay
competent officials awakens the hearty dis
gust of the farmers at the penuriousness
of the State Legislature. The salable
valuation of cattle in the State has
already been decreased, one state hay
ing placed an embargo ON stock from
Delaware, prohibiting it from coming
within the boarders of thnt common
wealth without a clear health bill. The
same law is likely to be made by other
states who guard their dairying and cattle
interests with more care than Delaware
Governor Stockley exerted his best
efforts to have the Legislature realize the
necessity of taking rigorous measures to
stamp out the disease, but the governors
earnest endeayor in this direction could
not raise the General Assembly above its
$500 limit for the pay of physicians, COM
missioners and all incidentals.
The only way remaining to battle the
contagion is by individual effort and this
has been proven by other states to be
almost fruitloss in such an emergency.
Many farmers, however, are considering
the feasibility of having their cattle
inoculated, ms n precaution against the
disease, though this is considered rather
heroic treatment and resorted to generally
where there is direct danger of the
herds Infection