Omaha daily bee., 1886-12-28
PLEURO-PNEUaiONiA.
Commissioners Colman's Reply to
the Swim nelaucn KcsnIiItInn

SOifnSGS ikrDly to
the Swineburn Resolution.
WASHiNGToN, Dec. 27.-Chairman Hatch
OF the house committee on agriculture has
received froms Commissioner Cvlman II reply
to the resolution offered few DAYS ago b,
Representative Swineburn of New York, in
which the commissioner sets forth compre
hensively the difficulties met in the attemp,
TO eXtrpate or to control the pleuio-pneu-
monla scourge in the present state of the
law and with the machinery at hand, and
relntorces his recommendations previously
made for more heroic methods, with add i
tlonal arguments and statements of fact.
The resolution seems to question the pre-
Valence or non-eXistence of pleuro-pnell-
mona, declaring in its preamble that
since the submission of the commissioner $
last report it has been learned that contagion
did not exist where that report said it did,
and calls for full and exnlicit information as
10 othe ownership and locality of the infested
herd, the number of animals which have per-
lshed and the steps takon to stamp out or
conhne the contagion. The commissioner at
the outset declared that some of the state
ments attributed to his report were not con
taned in it and proceeded to show that the
summary by the chief of the bureau of ami
mai industry of the discovery made
asT1n assmed by two years was enormously
or the condition of affairs at the moment the
report 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 the localities where it was
reported to exist, II would respectfully saw
that my information. Is not in accordance
ual premises are meant, then the statement
may be admitted to be correct, for with
Iieuro,pneumonia as with all other conta-
Elons diseases, some herds are continually
fttn
Others are as continually coming under It's
influence. If, however, we use the word
localities in the sense of state or counties. |
see no reason to believe that, with the excep-
been no material changes. As to
the proportion of 1,737 affected animals
which recovered and the proportion which
aleu, ana as to the proportion of those ex-
nave no information. The inspection was
made to obtain the facts as to the extent of
the disease, and it was impossible, with few
exceptions, under the existing law, to keen
the infected herds under supervision, or TO
obtain any facts as to the subsequent history
OF the herds. The publication of the exist
ence or pleuro-pneumonia in herds without
the adoption of prompt measures for sup
pressing it, caused so much damage TO own
ers that in many cases they not only refused
Experimentation, but will prevent the exam
nation OF animals at atsubsoIuent visits" The
missioner then says that tine only way to
learn the fate of animals in such herds IS to
place watch on the premises and maintain
1t day and night. For 450 herds this would
require at least 300 men. force which il was
clearly impossible for the department to en-
ploy even il the expenditure were authorized,
AS to quarantine of infected herds the repori
refers 10 state laws which are not such as TO
enable the department to enforce its regula-
tons, there being nothing to prevent the re-
moval OF that part OF the Infected herd which
has not yet shown symptoms OF disease from
any state INTO any other state. The commits
sioner recommends emphatically that his de-
parlmcnt pc given sufficient authority to
overcome this difficulty. or that the work OF
Graduating the plague be left entirely to
state ,i 4 authorities, The report enlarges upon
ltS qiflcuilles IN the way of effectively quar-
antining infected herds on account Of The
loss eniailed upon owners by tho suspicion
lhat the act casts upon their products In
order 10 overcome such difficulties 1t will be
necessary 10 place a sufficient guard over
every infected premises to prevent
the men or animals liable to carry
lhe c9htagion from minging with the outside
word. Tie commissioner concludes that
such q quarantine would be so expensive and
SO lntolelable to the citizens of this country
as 10 make It's maintenance impossible. He |
therefore recommends that wherever an in |
leciel nero Is discovered all the exposed ami |
mas pc slaughtered, the premises thoroughly |
dlSlntected and the owner compensated tOr |
the loss 10 which he submitted for the pro |
lection OF the public. The report gives the |
history t 9A, OF plenGo-pneumonia in Kentucky |
MS opinions with incidents showing the i'm |
nussiplllty ut making an effective quaran- |
lihe and representing the slaughter of dis |
raStd and exposed animals and The |
IlSlnltcting "r premises 10 he the
ONLY way OF eXiilpating the plague. The |
report concludes with figures giving
lhe proportion OF slaughtered ANIMALS that
were more or less affected BY peuropnen
mona. From November 2S 10 December lG
-,Ed animals were slaughtered of which
number l,Oil were found To be affected
another table shows that In addition 10 this
-! small herds, numbering in all l,Ojl
ihlmalS, were placed IN quarantine in Chi
ago lGom october l3 to November 30 sll
DelhS IN private herds in stables, and the
treater part of which We're quarantined be
'ailSe OF the exposure to affected cattle on
ne various commons about the city,
lhedaparlnent has not purchased diseased
ihlma!S Tor slaughter IN Illinois because the
aw OF that state makes IL the duty of the
I've stock commissioners 10 slaughter such
,nlmals at once without compensation. With |
ms law on the statute books of the state,
ma with no apparent reason why il should
iot De enforced. IL was not in my Judgment
ssehtal to prevent the spread of pleuro-
'neumonla from one state into another that
NY paIt or the appropriation should be used
2 Illinois 10 purchase diseased animals for
laughter. The commissioner is of the opin.
on that 1t is useless to eradicate pleilro-
'neumonla In states where incubation is
raeticed and where inoculated animals are
iterwards allowed 10 mingle with cattle of |
ther herds. The morley expended In pur-
hssing diseased animals for slaughter under
uch conditions is consequently largely
'asted, aud l9r this reason he has decided
OF 20 spend any part of the appropriation
or this purpose in states where inoculation
practeed.