The evening times., 1899-12-06
INSPECTIONS OF ANIMALS
Report on Official Examinations of
American Meat.
The Work Done by the Department
of Agriculture to Prevent the
Spread of Disease Among Cattle
and Swine-VRccine for Anthrax
and Serum for Hog Cholera.

The report of the Chief Of the Bureau
of Animal Industry for the year shows
that the work carried ON by ehe bureau Is
increasing rapidly from year 10 year. and
is becoming more and more an important
factor in the economy OF animal produc-
tion and in the export Of animal products.
Meat inspection was conducted during the
last year at 13S abattoirs in forty-one cit
les. The total number OF ante-mor1em in
spections of animals was 50, 2e3, 116. OF
which 81, 405.973 were for official abattoirs,
and 1857, ,203 for unofficial abattoirs and
for miscellaneous buyers. '---
The number rejected upon this examina-
tion was 156,539 The growth OF this feat
ure of the work is shown by the fact that
in 1892. the total ante -mortem inspections
for official abattoirs was only 3.S0s. .4h9-
The total number of post-mortem inspec=
tions was 34,l63155 The cost OF this in
spectioA was s465, ,70923. The cost, per
head on ante-mortem inspection was 0.sS
cent: in 1892 the cost per head was AS
cents. and only once was it less than 0.s
cent
The number of hog carcasses examined
microscopieally was 2,227.7i0. or this
pearance of trichinae. and 25.913 contained
only trichonae-like bodies. while 1857, or
1.S7 per cent, living trichinae. The exports
of this pork to countries requiring inspec-
tion amounted to los, 1926. 1875 pounds, while
only 70,046 pounds went to countries rot
requiring inspection. The cost of this
for rnt,
carcass. and 0.1S2 cent for each pound ex-
ported.
There were inspected for export. 436, ,595
American. and s7,6sS Canadian animals.
The number Of inspections Of vessels for
carrying export animals was S52. OF the
cattle exported to Great Britain, the losses
were but 0.31 per cent; of sheep, 1.54 per
cent; of horses, Ill per cent.
The expenses of inspection of animals
for export the supervision Of the movement
of Southern cattle, and the inspection of
animals imported from Mexico amounted
to $107, ,023.3l. 1t is estimated that the cost
per head for inspecting cattle and sheep
for export averaged 13 cents. During the
quarantine season of 1898 there were un-
loaded at stock yards north Of the infected
area Ass quarantine cattle, and there
were inspected in the non-infected area OF
Texas 236, 1863 cattle for shipment into other
States for grazing. The imports from Mex
leo requiring inspection at the boundary
line were 79,90S cattle, ,254 sheep. 64 hogs.
and III goats. The imports from Canada,
not subject to quarantine, were sc, ,46S cat
tie, 172,9S5 sheep, 1.769 horses. Some Of
these were for breeding, but the large ma
1ority were for feeding purposes. The total
number Of animals received at the ports Of
import was 2,463
All Of this work was done to prevent the
spread Of disease among the animals Of the
United States, to prevent consumers from
diseased meats. to secure the arrival of our
animal products in foreign markets in
good condition. and to maintain the repu-
tation of those products at home and
abroad.
1t is estimated that the animal loss from
the disease known as blackleg, or sympto-
matte anthrax, in the districts principally
affected, has ranged from to 35 per cent.
The Bureau of Animal Industry has been
for sometime distributing vaccine for the
prevention Of this disease, and this, it is
estimated. has reduced the loss 0.54 per
cent among the animals treated.
Vaccine is still being sent out and dur
ing the fiscal year 545. .2S9 doses were dis
tributed. The indications are that the con-
tagion gradually dies out where systematic
inoculations are practiced. and 1t is with
the hope Of eradicating the disease from
many sections that the preparation OF vac
cine was undertaken.
The experiments OF the bureau demon
strated that Northern cattle might be made
immune from Texas fever by inoculating
them with the blood of immune animals.
This has recently been adopted and prac-
ticed with most satisfactory results by
some of the experiment stations.
The preparation of serum for treating
hog cholera and swine plague has been on
Il -
and the results are said to be exceedingly
satisfactory.