Evening star., 1898-12-15
SUFFERINGS OF ANIMALS
Dr. Salmon's Account Of Government Efforts
to Reduce Them.
Results Accomplished in Preventing
Disease and in Checking
Abuses.

di dlldCIies dt tiiuct
during the session in Washington of the
American Humane Society, to paper pre-
pared by DR.. D. E. Salmon, chief of the
United States bureau of animal industry,
Department of Agriculture. descriptive of
what is being done by the federal govern
ment toward the alleviauon and prevention
of the diseases and abuses of animals in
the United States. This paper, recently
printed in the Philadelphia Medical Jour
nal. has been issued pamphlet DR..
Salmon notes first the most incredible n
crease in the number of farm animals in
the United States, estimating their present
numbers follows: 165oD,0O0 horses and
mules, 46.000,OO0 head of cattle, 36OOO,00O
sheep, 4u,UDU,0OO swine and }5O, 200, ,OOO fowls.
He says that the aggregate of suffering
among these vast herds and f1OckS from
preventable diseases and exposure and from
abuses is beyond the power of the imagina-
ton to conceive.
He Describes briefly the work which has
been done by the bureau of animal industry
toward the eradcat ton of the preventable
diseases among the animals first noting
the two distinct plaques responsible for
sickness among swine. He says:
The Investigators have discovered and
studied the germs of these diseases. They
have shown how these germs leave the
bodies of sick animals and are dissem-
mated. They have shown how the germs
enter the bodies of well animals and cause
disease. They have shown the disinfcct-
ants which are most efficient in destroying
the germs, and the medical treatment which
gives best results. They have tested the
stamping-out method, and also the methods
by vaccination, inoculation and the use of
antitoXc serum. 1t should be borne in
mind that these Investigators had no bias
for or against any particular theory or
method. What they have been searching
for is Il practicable pian of controlling
these diseases. This practicable and eff
cicnt pan has been found in the serum
treatment. The other methods mentioned
have, with hog cholera, either failed or
proved ur Sa tiSfactOry.'
He next rctes the success achieved by the
use of the serum treatment, which has
caused in every case where scientifically
and Systematically applied very material
reduction IN the mortality. He believes
that the farmers of the country now have
the power, after twenty years of research
and eXper imentation, to prevent the loss
of swine from contagious diseases, which is
estimated now to range from seven to ten
millions year.
PIeurO-PneumOnia
Next treating of pleuro- pneumonia among
cattle, he shows how some years ago the
Department of Agriculture proved conclu
sively the contagious nature of the disease,
this conclusion being verified by the stimuli
tane0us spread of the contagion to Ohio
Illinois and Kentucky, after which the de-
partment was authorized to adopt and en-
force measures for eradic3tng the malady,
and Dr Salmon says that within four years
OF that time every diseased herd i'll the nnc
infected states had been traced and dis
posed of and not trace had since been
found in the eight years elapsing.
The Texas fever has, however, seriously
affected the cattle industry and has puZ-
z!ed the investigators by its mysterious
features. There is an immense district per
mancntly infected with this contagion, the
border line extending irregularly for 1000
iiI. ft,D tt1.a 4 ~ Ni,, .S,,
has been found that cattle long pastured in
the infected region become immune but
communicate the disease to herds in the ln-
infected region those which enter the
infected region from without. The mys-
teries have now. it is believed been solved
by the discovery that the parasite of the
disease which destroys the red corpuscIes
OF the blood, Is transferred by means of
ticks which infest the body of the cattle
The communication is brought about By
the fastening upon the cattle of young ticks
which have developed from eggs laid in the
ground by the preceding generation, which
have become infected by feeding upon the
blood of diseased cattle. DIR. Salmon shows
That the bureaus efforts have brought sue
cess substantially in the eradication Of this
pest promising a considerable degree of
immunity for the cattle herds of the coun-
try in the near future from the Texas fever.
rms result has been achieved by immuni:.-
ing the susceptible herds by subjecting
them TO mild form of the fever and al 80
by killing the ticks already fastened uDOn
cattle suffering from the disease The lat
ter object Is ACCOMPLISHED by causing the
cattle to swim through huge watts filled with
q composition of mineral oil and SULPHUR
which kills the ticks
Or. Salmon next treats the blackleg a
disease very common among cattle in some
parts OF the country. for the cure of which
the bureau has prepared vaccine which
according to reports, produces reduction in
losses from this disease from IL per cent
IN q season to per cent He also notes the
fact that the bureau has been able to dis
Seminatc information relative to the cure
OF the sheep mango, an easily preventable
disease.
Transportation Evils.
DR.. Salmon, in conclusion, invites the at
tention of the agents for the prevention Of
cruelty to animals throughout the country
to the abuse of animals in transportation
particularly caused by the lack of food
when they are sent on runs of more than
one day. This abuse is in violation of the
United States statutes which prohibit the
carrying of animals without food or rest
for Il period of twenty EIGHT hours Not
Wlthstandng all the efforts of the govern
ment to suppress it, long shipments of ca;-
tie, without food, drink or rest continue
Ihe Department of Agriculture has period
lcally directed the attention of the railroad
companies to the law. and special agents
TO note the facts Of the TRANSFORMATION of
animals occasionally succeed in prosec2i-
Hon Tor violation of the law. DR.. Salmon
believes that this abuse opens a great field
Tor legitimate humane work blythe societies
of the country, and he urges that they CO.
operate with the Department of Agriculture
in securing evidence and aiding in prosecu-
tons TO give force to existing statutes His
paper is closed with an appeal to the h1,-
name societies to cooperate on other lines
With the bureau of animal industry to give
force and effect to the efforts now under