The Portland daily press., 1886-05-04
the STATE CATTLE.
Report of the Inspector of Animal
lndustry.-The Animals All Affected
with tuberculosis.
269 W. asth STREET, NEW YORK, |

269 w. 3sth STREET, NEW YORK;
April goth, 1886. !
To His ErceHency, Frederic Ro6ie, Esq, Coz
ernor of Maine:
Dear Sir-Pursuant to an order from Hon Nor
man j. Coleman, United States Commissioner of
Agriculture, started on the 10th inst. for orono
Maine to advise with your State Veterinarian
DR.. Geo. II. Bailey, as to what disposition should
be made of the cattle belonging to the State Col
lege Farm. Arriving there before the State au-
thorities had ample time to study carefully the
history and surroundings of the herd
From G. w. Gowell, Superintendent of farm,
learned that for the past eight or ten years there
occurred an occasional death among the cattle
and as nearly as could judge from his descrp-
tion these animals were affected with the same
disease that prevailed at tins examination.
The trouble was evidently pulmonary one,
more or less persistent cough, irregular or hur-
red breathing and emaciation being witnessed In
all.
was first led to examinethe hyeienie surround
ings. The barn is large one and has ample
room for the stock. 1t is well lighted and thor
oughly ventilated; the air being surprisingly
pure as 1 entered the building early in the morn
ing: The stalls are kept very clean, as the ami
mails themselves show. The manure is thrown in
the basement but free current of air prevents
any appreciable odor from rising to the stable.
The water IS from cistern which being above
the level Of any stable drainage is pure and whole
some. The feeding is iudiciOus in every sense,
and the food, both grain and hay, is Of the best
quality.
From the history of previous cases, and upon
examining a few of the cattle that presented the
most marked symptoms, was able to diagnose
the disease as tuberculosis beyond any reasona-
Bile doubt.
decided to destroy some of the worst cases for
postmortem purposes. The animals thus selected
were some that State Veterinarian Bailey had
nrpViOuSlV examined and nlaQpd nv ThpmSplVpg in
the horse barn. will refer to some of them by
name and give the LESSONS presented Cow PanSv
presented numerous military tubereleS throughout
the left lung, and in the right were masses Of
tubercular deposits of various Sizes situated
chiefly near the apex OF the lung. These masses
had become cheeSy or calcareOuS.
Hydcinth presented smaller aggregatiOns Of
grayish white nodules throughout the substance
of both lungs.
Flossy-Both lungs affected; in the right lung
near its centre was noticed large abSceSs, due to
softening and breaking down OF tubercular de-
posits. The left humerO-radial or elbow joint was
considerably enlarged and had given rise to lame
ness during the past few months. The knee
joint of the same leg was first involved, but now
appeared healthy The synovial membrane and
extremities of the humerus and radius were in a
diseased condition, but presented no calcareous
deposits or appearances of rheumatOid arthrltiS.
The prepect0ral and braehial lymphatic glands
were found to contain much cheesy and calcareous
matter
Cows Edith, CI1tDln,ie Mildred, Blanche, and
others showed extensive granulations ON the
costal and pulmonary pleurse, which in some in
stances firmly united the lungs to the ribs.
Helen Hart, in addition to similar LESSONS Of the
thoracic organs, revealed well developed tubercles
in the udder. Some of these had broken down
and their contents was discharged into the milk
SlnuseS and tainted the milk-a fact that had been
observed by those in charge for some days
1t does not appear necessary for me to detail the
LESSONS found in individual cases beyond this, ex-
cept to remark that, other organs of the body
were frequently involved-hver, intestines, etc.
The e0IUeS presented mostly diseased conditions
of lymphatic glands and inteStines; diarrh9a
and other digestive disorders being here most
marked
Out u the forty-seven (47) head destroyed, all
Q0ur or five calves were not examined, but were
killed because of being the offspring Of diseased
dams, and having occupied the infected baTn,)
presented symptoms which, as you probably are
aware, were accurately interpreted in every in
stance. even where but very small and deep-seat-
ed portions ofahng tissue were involved.
The uniformity of these symptoms and patho-
logical LESSONS must prove to all thinking minds
whether little or nothing is known of the ap-
pearances of the disease in question: that there
one and the same disease.
That this disease is both hereditary and conta-
gious seems also patent from the facts that calves
scarcely one month old were plainly affected and
that those animals recently bought and placed
with the diseased cattle show upon post-mortem
examination the initial LESSONS of this malady.
In answer to those who contend that this dis
ease was cansed by improper feeding, or lack of
sufficient ventilation and exercise, L is only nee
essary to resind you that tuberculosis like small
pox and similar diseases, is a specific malady;
one that can only be spread by coming in contact
in some way with its special and determined in
feeting agent.
The assertions that cotton seed meal had any
thing to do with the origin or spread of this dis
ease are simply ridiculous.
Taking into consideration, then, the facts that
very large proportion of the herd (all we might
most say were affected with a disease communi-
cable not only from animal to animal, but from
animal to man; that in the future, death after
death would occur yearly; that scarcely by any
possibility could calves be raised from any Of
these cows that would reach maturity free from
this pestllence; that animals purchased elsewhere
and placed with this herd would (as past expert
enct proveS) soon become diseased; and that the
barn itself Is now infected, and must be left va
cant for considerable period; parts of it floors,
etc. removed and burned, and thorough and re-
peated disnfectiOn be resortedito,-ltD becomes ap-
parent to ALL think, that the only safe and prop
er course to pursue the one advised L. G. 1.-The
slaughter of the entire herd.
Some of the meat might have been used as food
had il not been for the prejudice that was so gem
impossible to sell even the butter from these cows
and was assured by every one likely to know,
that under no circumstances could pound of the
meat be disposed of now or even months later.
The swine on the farm that had been fed large
ly on the milk of these cows, were examined, and
one pig nearly year old was killed and car efuly
examined but no traces of tuberculosis could be
detected. The butcher who kills the pigs raised
on the farm states that in some instances the liver
has appeared diseased. In conclusion / can only
recommend that when other animals are purchas-
ed that care be taken to buy from herds where
NAL be examined at the time of purchase by your
State Veterinarian.
Very respectfully,
Gu. B. MICHENER, V. S.,
Inspector Bureau Of Animal Industry.
fully concur with the above report.
GEO. ii. BAILEY. ID. v. s.,
Commissioner for Maine on Contagious Diseases