Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-27
KILLED BY CHAMBERS
Several Cases Of This Disease Dis
covered in Allegheny City.
IT is FATAL TO MAN AND BEAST.
Prompt Measures Taken to Prevent it
Becoming Epidemic.
NECESSITY FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION

A sensation was created in the city yes
terday by the report that glanders had
broken out. When traced it was found
that there was no danger of the disease be-
coming epidemic, as it travels slowly and can
easily be stamped out if properly handled.
The story was that Agent Bergman, OF the
Humane Society, had discovered three bad
cases in the stable of Philip Stack on East
street, Allegheny, near the Blue Line car
station. Two of the horses were almost
dead. The other had just been taken with
the disease.
Agent Bergman ordered the horses
killed, and notified the Board Of Health of
the case. In accordance with the agents
advice Stack will tear down and burn the
stable in which the horses were confined
and fumigate the premises thoroughly in
order to prevent contagion.
Visits were made to Arnheim's, j. f.
Smith, Lowry's, O'Neill & Co., Burns &
jain and to other stables, but no one was
found who said he knew of any cases in the
city. OF course, man could scarcely be
expected to say he had case in his own
stable. but he might know OF it in others.
HEROIC MEASURES NECESSARY.
DR.. R. Jennings, Jr., stated that it was
not unusually prevalent in the city, but
what he said parenthetically subsequently
was OF interest to both fman and beast. "
In New Jersey the disease has been
very. effectively stamped out by
heroic treatment, largely owing to the
law for its suppression enacted. At the close
of the war the United States sold Its spare
army horses at auction, and they were diStrib-
uted all over the country and New Jersey got
its quota. Many of them had glanders, and IL
became SO bad in New Jersey as TO threaten
serious results. A law was passed making the
penalty $50 for neglect Co suppress the disease
promptly, disinfect, etc. Were the offender
obstinate he might be fined $500 and sent to
prison.
In this State there is no law by which the
disease can be treated as it should be- AS it
attacks mankind as well as horses the Board of
Health has incidental jurisdiction, but 1t is .
question whether a man might not sue and
receive damages for the destruction OF his
property.
A LAX Law.
In the case Of pleuro-pneumonia the State
pays to the owner of stock slaughtered to pre-
vent contagion one-third of its value when in
health but there is no provision in the case of
glanders, though there certainly should be, or
if not, measures should be taken to make its
eradication compulsory, without compensation.
as in the case of New Jersey.
Some seven or eight years ago an old cob was
the cause of the death of IA horses and one
man, named Carpenter, in McKeesport. The
disease was in his stable. but he thought it in
fuenza or distemper and paid but little atten-
ton to it until he took sick himself from
handling the animals. Some doctors treated
him for blood poisoning. but DR.. Bruce was
finally called in and he thought it glanders,
and on inquiry of Carpenter learned OF the
sickness among his horses. DR.. Jennings was
called to examine them and found seven or
eight cases of glanders. One of the horses
was Quarantined in an old shed across the
river and another sent into Westmoreland
county and held for experimental purposes.
BY some means both horses escaped. and
SPREAD THE DISEASE
in different directions. One wandered to Mt.
Washington or Knoxville, and in consequence
the Southside has never since been entirely
free from the disease. The old rip that
started it outlived all the IA horses and the man
AS 1t is more dangerous. being uniformly
fatal. than smallpox, 1t seems strange that the
Legislature has not ere now taken measures
to reduce its ravages to minim mum. In city
like this, where foreign horses are brought
daily it is likely to become walking pestilence
at any time. The State can better afford to
pay for animals slaughtered than to run the
risk of contagion, especially as but few people
are able to tell it from influenza, and are likely
to expose themselves unwittingly. Some years
ago the Board of Health in this city assumed
risk of prosecution, and by destroying infected
horses gave the city comparative immunity.