The St. Johns herald., 1892-07-21
Inspection of Live Stock and Meats,

been very much restricted by nos tile regulations in foreign countries. The reason assigned for these reg ulations was the absence of any United States Government inspec- ton of live stock and meat pro- ducts to guarantee them free from disease. Two acts of Congress, one approved August 30, 1890. and the other March 8, 1891, authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to inspect animals and meats intended for ex- port or for interstate trade. In com pliance with the law he has estab- lished, through the Bureau of Ami nal Industry, an inspection of live stock for export and an inspection of meats.
 The inspection of live stock is in- tended to detect all animals that are diseased or infected with dis ease, and to prevent stock from be- coming diseased in transport. The veterinary inspection of neat cattle and sheep to be exported to Great Britain, Ireland and the continent of Europe is made at number of interior cities and at seaports from which stock are shipped. The cat tie inspected at interior cities, when found free from disease and from exposure to contagion, are tagged and shipped to the port of export, where they are again inspected. Railroad companies are required to furnish clean and disinfected cars. Persons who ship live stock must give the name of the place from which the animals come and the name of the feeder, to enable the bureau to trace diseases to their origin. The inspector at the inte- rior city, ,after passing cattle and tag ging them, forwards to the veterin- ary inspector in charge of the port of export for which they are des- tined the tag numbers and de- scription of the cars in which the animals are shipped. At the port the animals are unloaded from the cars at the wharves, whenever pos sible; and when it Is necessary to transport them to ocean steamers by means of boats, these must be cleaned and thoroughly disinfected, and must not receive more cattle or sheep than can be carried comforta- bly,. No vessel with cattle or sheep for Great Britain, Ireland or the continent of Europe can receive clearance papers until the veterin- ary inspector certiies to the collec- tor of the port that the animals have been duly inspected, and that the law has been fully complied with.
 As Great Britain has insisted up on the existence of contagious pleuro-pneumonia in American cat tie when the United States Depart ment of Agriculture claimed that infection did not exist, the Secre- tary of Agriculture, through the State Department, recently obtain ed permission from the British Government for American veterin- arians to participate with the Brit ish officers in specting American cattle landed at British ports. In August, 1890, three American in- spectors were sent to England. Up to September 19, 1891, they exam ined 374,000 head of cattle with the most gratifying results. The English officers alleged contagious pleuro-pneumonia in only three cases, and in these cases the judg- ment of the American inspectors, who disputed the English diagnosis, was confirmed by the higher Eng fish veterinary authorities. The cost of the inspection is borne by the Government. The Secretary of Agriculture, Ill his report for 1891, stated that the inspection of live stock for export had cost, for the ten months during which it had been in operation, $S, 800 per month,