St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-28
PLEURO.PNEUMONEA.
Coleman Gives His
Views at Length Oh the subject.

WASHINGTON, Dec. II. - Chairman
Hatch, of the house committee on agricul-
ture. has received from Commissioner Cole
man reply to the resolution offered few
days ago by Representative Swineburne of
New Y York, in which the commissioner sets
forth cOmprehenSively the difficulties met
in the attempt to eXtirpate or to control
the pleuro pneumonia scourge in the pres
ent state of the law and with the machinery
at hand; and reinforces his recommenda-
tionS previously made for heroic methods,
with additional arguments and statements
of facts. The resolution seems to question
the prevalence, if not the existence, of
pleurO- pneumonia, declaring in its preamble
that since the submission Of the commission
er's last report it has been learned that the
contagion did not exist where that report
said it did, calls for full and
EXPLICIT INFORMATION
as to the ownership and locality of infected
herds, the number of animals which have
perished and the steps taken to stamp out
or confne the contagion. The commits
sioner at the outset declared that some of
the statements attributed to his report were
not contained in it, and proceeds to show
that the summary by the chief of the
les made during two years was erronerously
assumed by Mr. Swineburne to be a state
ment of the condition of affairs at the mo-
meDt the statement was submitted. He
proceeds as follows:
In reference TO that part Of the preamble
which states that it has been learned since
the making of the report that the disease
does not exist in localities where it was re-
ported to exist. would respectfully say that
my information is not III accordance with
this statement. If by localities individual
premises are meant, then the statement may
be admitted to be correct, for, with pleuro-
pneumonia, as with all other contagious
diseases, some herds are continually being
RESCUED FROM CONTAGION
while others are as continually coming under
its influence. If. however, we use the word
localities in the sense of states or counties, /
see no reason to believe that with the excep-
tion of Kentucky and Illinois there has been
any material change. AS to the proportion
of the I,137 affected animals which recovered,
and the proportion which died, and as to the
proportion which afterwards became affected,
have no information. The inspection was
made to obtain facts as to the extent of the
disease, and it was impossible, with few ex-
ceptions, under the existing law, to keep in
fected herds under supervision or to obtain
any facts as to the subsequent history OF the
herds. The publication of the existence of
pleuro-pneumonia in herds, without the
adoption of prompt measures for suppressing
it, caused so much damage to the owners
thar, in many cases, they not only entirely
refused to give information, but they
will prevent examination of ami
mails at subsequent visits. The only way
to learn the fate of the animals in such herds
is to place a watch on the premises and
maintain it day and night. For 450 infected
herds this would require at least 900 men,
III Ha11 all 1o;1. II fr-
department to employ, even If the expendi-
ture should be considered judicious and
necessary one. In fact, we would not have
been able to obtain accurate data even in this
way, because many afflicted animals, proba-
bly, the greater part of them are slaughtered
or sold before the natural termination of the
disease. AS to the quarantine of infected
herds 4 glance at the law is sufficient to show
that this department cannot enforce quaran-
tine regulations within any State unless
under state lazy and by cooperation with
state authorities. The only penalties in the
law are for driving or transporting
affected cattle from one state or territory
into another, and if
THE PENALTY CLAUSE,
Is construed strictly as believe is the rule in
such cases, there is nothing to prevent the
removal of that part of All infected herd
which has not yet shown symptoms of disease
from any stall into any other stall. In GER
tain cases the department has been able to
cooperate with the state authorities, and to
quarantine regulations by means
of state laws; but it has been in all cases a
most difficult matter TO divide the response
bilities between the federal and state officials.
I would recommend most emphatically either
that sufficient authority be given to this de-
partment to eradicate the plague or that the
work be left entirely to the state authorities.
To efficiently quarantine affected herds for
any considerable time is most difficult thing
to accomplish, even with the most rigid laws
and the severest penalties. If dairy herd is
ouarantined, the publication of the notice at
once ruins the sale Of milk from the herd. 1t
also prevents the sale of animals for beef n
many cases, because the public prefer to
draw their beef and milk supplies from un-
animals. Now, just as soon as
an individual finds
HIS INCOME is CUT OFF
and that he is under the necessity of feeding
d large number of animals at ruinous ex-
pense, with no prospect of relief, he attempts
to remove animals surreptitiously, and unless
rigid regulations can be enforced he will sue
cced Animals can be removed and others
having the same general appearance can be
substituted for them almost without the pos
sibiity of detection, and this is frequently |
iouc But, even where this can be pre-
vented, it is simply impossible to prevent the !
spread of contagion By men and animals |
yoing from an infected herd to others where !
Inc disease had not appeared. No quarantine
can, therefore, be perfect without placing a |
sufficient guard over every infected premises |
10 prevent men or animals liable to carry the |
,ontaglon from mingling with the outside |
world. Such quarantine is so expensive |
and so intolerable to the citizens OF this coun- |
try that / do not believe it could be main |
+oined. For these reasons I have recon- /
nended that wherever
AN INFECTED HERD
e discoveree. all exposed animals be slaught- ;
ared. the premises thoroughly disinfected and |
the owner compensated for the loss to which |
,e is subjected for the protection Of the pub |