The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-11
Especial to the PRESS. I

culosis. Not satisfied with this: diagnosis
Mr.. WinSlow submitted a portion of the
intestines and other viScera to DIR. Charles
ID. Smith of Portland, who after examination
reported that the LESSONS were unmistake-
ably tubercular. The specimens examined
by DIR. Smith, presented a number of
nodules varying In size from a pin-head to
marrowfat pea irregularly scattered about,
mucous coat and few Of the smaller i'm
bedded in the intestinal wall. Some were
denee In structure, others distinctly softer,
with cheesy feeling when crushed between
the fingers. On the 10Th Of May DIR. Bailey
was again called to Winslow's herd to ex-
pasture and was unable to get up. DIR.
Bailey with Mr.. Harris examined the COW
and ordered her destruction for the purpose
OF an autopsy after having appraised the
animal at $40. No evidence Of tuberculosis
was discovered. the lungs and abdominal
viscera being perfect and sound. DIR. Bailey
visited the herd again on the 9th, accom-
panied by DR.. Smith, TO determine positively
from which of the two cows already killed
the specimen of Intestine shown DIR. Smith,
had been procured; also to obtain other
specimens and to dissect the joint of the
lame cow. On May 2S, DIR. Smith furnished
the board with written statement, in which
he expressed the opinion that the specimens
which he had examined with the exceptions
of portions of lung and liver, were in
Subsequently, portion Of the same intes-
tines that were submitted to Dr. Smith, were
submitted to DIR. III. G.. Boyer, who reported
after thorough examination, that no tubercu-
lous disease was present, and that the diff
ficulty, whatever 1t was, might be of recent
origin.
On June 4tb, another COW of Wins
lows herd was killed, on condition that
If found tubereulous she should be paid for
by the state, otherwise not The post NOR
lE ka.ls1 ~.s.
whatever. Mr.. Winslow still claiming that
some contagious disease was present in his
herd, the cattle commissioners decided to
make another post m0rtem examination. The
services of DR.. I'll. G. Boyer were obtained,
and a COW which had manifested all the
symptoms shown by the other cows killed,
was selected from the herd and slaughtered.
After all aseptic precautions had been taken
to insure an absolutely correct result, the in
testines and other viscera were submitted to
DIR. Boyer, who reported that the only lesion
found was confined to the alimentary canal
Along the small Intestine number of small
tubercles were found A micrOsc0pical ex-
animation Of the coutents of these tubercles
failed to reveal single bacillus characters
tic of tuberculosis. In half Of them, how
ever, an animal parasite, belonging to the
order uematodes, or the flamentous variety
OF worms was found. "The entire
absence of the. bacillus character
lstic OF tuberculosis. says DR.. Boyer,
parasitsi n the nodules which were examined
warrants me in asserting that the disease is
due to the latter but has nothing whatever
in common with the disease known as tuber-
culosis." DR.. Beyer's skill as microscopic
and investigator of matters of this nature is
attested by two certificates from Drs. Weeks
and S. G. Gordon. Subsequently DR.. Smith
having been shown by Boyer the slides con-
tanning the parasites he had discovered be-
came satisfied that the nOdules examined
contained coccus instead of bacillus and
were non-contagious instead of tubercular.
On the 1st OF August DIR. Bailey received
through Mr.. Winsl0w, a certificate from DR..
j. +. Winchester of Lawrence, Mass, set
ting forth that he had made examination Of
several cows of Mr.. Winslow's herd and
found what he believed to be symptoms of
tuberculosis. The selectmen OF Falmouth
soon after asked the cattle commissioners to
make further examination of the herd, but
the commissioners declined to do so. On
Sept. IL the commissioners received another
notice from the selectmen of Falmouth that
DR.. Winchester, who Is the state veterinarian
of Massachusetts. would make pOstmortem
examination of one of Mr.. WinslOw's herd.
Accordingly Messrs. Harris and Bailey of the
commission, accompanied by DR.. Williamson
Dryden, V. s., live stock inspector of the
British steamships at Boston, and DR..
Charles ID. Smith, visited Mr.. Winslow's
farm and witnessed DIR. Winchester's exami-
nation. The lungs of the slaughtered ami
NAL were found to be absolutely sound and
even the alimentary canal was free from the
n0dules that had been found in some of the
other cases and not a single tubercle
was disclosed during the examination.
DR.. Winchester took away some Of the AMI
maps glands to submit to DR.. Peters of BOs-
ton for micr0scopical examination, and DR..
Bailey sent some of the viscera to DIR. Sal
mon, United States Department of Agricul-
ture at Washington, ID. @. DR.. Salmon re-
ported September 2S that he had been able to
discover no trace of tuberculosis in the
specimens sent him, and that he believed
the conclusions in regard to the LESSONS found
in the cattle arrived at by DR.. Boyer were
correct. No report has been received from
DR.. Peters, but DIR. Dryden of Boston, who
was present at the post mortem, wrote to
DR.. Bailey, October 2 that he had had con-
versation with Dr. Peters in which the lat
ter had said that he had examined the soft
parts and had not found any baccilli of tu-
berculosis. DIR. Dryden expressed the opin-
ion that DIR. Peters's examination was full
vindicatiOn Of the Maine cattle commission,
and would prove good lesson to DIR. Win
chester. Mr.. Winslow, however, was still
dissatisfied. and on October 80, applied to
Governor Burleigh for permission to person
ally appear and state the facts in regard to
his herd and to complain OF the action OF the
cattle commissioners. On November 20
Council at Augusta, at which Mr.. Winslow
was represented by counsel and DR.. Win
chester was also present. The Maine com
missioners appeared and conducted their
case without counsel. After hearing the
evidence the government sustained the COM
mission and referred the case back to their
hands. Since that time Mr.. Winslow has
made no further demands upon the commits
sion, but his killed another COW, the lungs
of which were found like all the others. per-
fectly sound AS tending to throw some
light upon the deceased condition of Mr..
WinslOW's herd the commissioners inc0r-
porate in their report the allegations
set forth in WIFI In suit
brought by Mr.. Winslow some years ago
against Morrill, Currying and Tanning COM
pany of Deering. These allegations are in
substance that poisonous matter from the
works of the company polluted the stream
from which Winsl0w's cattle drank, and
were the cause of injury. to. the health and
money value. Mr.. Winslow claimed, of $1,000.
In view of the allegations in this suit,
the commissioners deem 1t fair and Impair
tial inference that the present difficulty in
Mr.. Winslow's herd may be attributed to the
causes set forth In the allegations in this
whole history of this case, fully confirms
their original opinion that the low condition
of the herd was due to improper nutrition,
and that the disease, whSteyer it was, was
parasitic and not tubercular, and entirely
non-cOntagiOus.
During the year, aside from Mr.. Lords
herd at Kennebunk, for which a special ap-
preparation was ordered, y cases were re-
ported in 1889, scattered from the New
Hampshire line to the St. John river; So
herds Of cattle were inspected and II stables
and lumber camps were visited; II cows, two
bulls and two oxen were condemned
on an appraisal of S7O2, and seven
horses were condemned at an apprai-
sal OF $3.50, making making total
S1292 At the close of the year the commits
sioners are able to report that all the ex-
penses Of the commission, as well as pay
ment for horses and cattle destroyed, have
been kept within the appropriation, ana a
check for $24l.43 has been returned 10 the
state by the treasurer of the commission.
A summary of the whole NUMBER OF cases
reported 10 the commission in 1888 was found