The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-05-21
The PIeurO-P Pneumonia Law.

1le Legislature, AZ us recent SESSION, pass
ed law supplemental to the law passed in
1884, to prevent the spread of infectious or
contagious diseases among the livestock of
the State. The supplemental law provides
for the appointment of board of
three commissioners, upon whom de-
wolves the duty of protecting, as far
as possible, the health of the domestic
animals of the State from all "exotic, conta-
gious or infectious diseases, and CHAMBERS in
horses, and for this purpose it is authorized
and empowered to establish, maintain and
enforce such quarantine, sanitary or other
regulations as it may deem necessary"
A question has arisen in this county as to
the duties and powers ofthe Live Stock San
itary Board in regard to ordering the slaugh-
ter of infected cattle and the payment for
them by the State The opinion of Attorney
General Roberts on the point raised will
probably be solicited.
1t will be recollected that State Veterinary
Inspector Ward and Mr.. A. NJ Fulford, of
the Sanitary Board, lately visited the farm OF
Mr.. David Hanway, at Creswell, and found
his cattle suffering with consumption, con-
tagious disease. The cattle were not quar-
antined nor was their slaughter ordered, upon
the ground that the law applies only to in
fictitious or contagious diseases of foreign orr.
gin, such as pleuro-pneumonia, foot and
mouth disease. &C., which, it is presumed,
have obtained foothold in this country
through the negligence of government Off
cials. Diseases, no matter how infectious or
contagious their character, originating
through the carelessness or untidyness OF
owners of cattle themselves, it is held, do not
come under the purview of this law.
We can not but regard this as a very limit
ed construction of the law and one which if
carried out, will defeat the very object for
which it was passed. The law, of which
this is supplement, required the slaughter
of all cattle affected with infectious or conta-
gious diseases and the quarantine of all others
known to have been exposed to contact with
the diseased animals.
The Commissioners, it is true, have only
$4,000 per year at their disposal, to pay for
cattle that may be slaughtered, and this fact
naturally leads them TO be cautious in ex-
pending it in any case in which such expen.
diture is not absolutely warranted; but it
seems to us that where herd is affected with
infectious or contagious disease, whether of
foreign or native origin, the true policy
would be to exterminate every animal in it,
and pay for them, under the provisions OF
the law, as long as the appropriation lasts.
When the amount has been exhausted, the de-
struction ofinfected cattle should still go on,
trusting to the next Legislature to reimburse
those whose cattle have been destroyed for
the benefit of the public. Infectious or con.
tagious diseases, exotic or otherwise, can not
be stamped out by any halfway measures.
Mr.. Hanway's cattle are still suffering with
the contagion, and as no quarantine was estab'
lished, his neighbors fear that the disease
which was pronounced contagious by theVet
Urinary Inspector, may be spread throughout
the neighborhood. Some further and immedi-
ate action by the Live Stock Sanitary Board
seems to be imperatively necessary in the
case of Mr.. Hanways cattle, to prevent the
disease from spreading, if indeed it be not
already too late.