The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-01
STATE OPEN TO
DISEASED CATTLE
Commissioner Averill Makes
Biennial Report

The biennial report of Heman Q.
Averill. commissioner on domestic
animals, for the two years ended Sep
TENDER 80, 1910 shows that the COM
missioner examined 4,51S cattle in
1893 and 4,672 during 1910, and con-
demned in all 1,137. The total am
cunt allowed for condemned cattle
was se,fs1:5o in 1903 and ss,344.50
in 1910 The average price allowed
per head was $11.72 in 1903 and
S11.5O in 1910. The number of cat
tie reported as having been brought
into the state during the period COW
cred by the report is as follows Cows,
4,435: heifers. 1861; oxen, 1So; steers,
9S4; bulls. 562; calves 1914.
Commissioners Averill shows that
the state is paying more than $6,ouu
a year to cattle owners to compensate
them for animals found to De anece-
ed with tuberculosis. and to TINS sum
must be added about $1,000 to cover
the expenses incidental to the work
If inspection, making a total outlay
of $500 each year. The ngures, ne
says raise the following inquiries.
What are the benefits to the con-
sumer OF milk and its products ?'
Are the cattle owners of the state
protected by the destruction OF the
tuberculous animals? ?" and is fur-
ther legislation needed to increase the
efficiency of this department.!
The commissioner then quotes from
various scientists to show that tuber-
culosis Is communicable from the DO
vine to the human and, therefore, II
seems wise to consider how the germs
are conveyed from the COW to the
human There is little danger, he
says, that the disease will be commu-
nicated directly from the COW to an
other by contact, and less that 1t VIII
be transmitted directly from the COW
70 the man. There is, though, dan
ger that q healthy COW, occupying
one will contract the disease by
breathing the germs floating in the
impure air in the stable or by occu-
pying the stall where the diseased COW
has lately stood and contaminated the
manger.
The commissioned points Nout that
tubercular cows cough. though they
have not acquired the human habit OF
expectorating, but yet contact with
them. when they are kept in Hltny
stables, generally opens a chance for
the spread of the tubercle bacilli. The
commissioner calls attention to the
recomm endation made by the late
Governor Lilley that all cattle import
ed into the state should be certihed
BY veterinarians and heh says that
shrewd farmers and cattle dealers in
other states can easily find ready
market here for healthy looking ami
mails that have responded TO the tu-
berculin test He continues:
There are in this state. as there
are in every state. many dealers who
are always ready and anxious to buy
cows that are offered for sale with
out asking any questions that would
embarrass the seller, so these react
orr are sold at a reduced price. IF
any Of the animals are emaciated or
are -coughers' they are disposed of
Tor what they will bring as 'bolognas'
or band boxes as such cattle are
called and for which there is ready
market. After wedding out the worst
cases. II any. are found, the rest of
the reactors appear perfectly healthy
sven to an expert and can be sold to
dafrymen at first class prices"
Commissioner Averfll says that ow-
tng to the stringent laws of other
states, diseased cattle cannot be ship
Fed out of Connecticut. but there is
nothing to hinder their being shipped
into the state. He says:
while the protection of the public
health is, Of course. the strongest ar
gument In favor Of the passage of the
4. preventing tuberculous cattle from
pears to the commissioner that the
prevention OF a financial loss to the
cattle owners in the state is alone a
sufficient reason to secure the enact
ment Of such a law. It is argued by
aased cattle to be moved from one
state to another 1t is equally wrong
70 sell them to be moved from one
town to another or from one farm
to another. theoretically this is alb
solutely true but nations and states
have the power to pass stringent,
laws TO preventive practice and near
" all of them are, to-day, requiring
satisfactory health certificates to a,s-
company all i1nportations of cattle. It
In not far distant when intelligent
farmers will require a health certifi-
cate when they purchase cows, as
they now require a certificate of reg
istration when they buy pure bred an
imals."
last May one or more cases of an
thrax were discovered in Winsted and
ne warned the owner of the serious
character of the disease and the me-
its spread He also notified the fed
eral authorities at washington and IN
expert was sent on to investigate. He
confirmed the diagnosis of anthrax
and he also discovered that the or
ders given by Commissioner Averill
had been disregarded. The commits
sioner says that it is an humiliating
fact that his department has no au-
thorlty to enforce an order issued to
protect the cattle interests of the
StdIe OUT must depend upon an Unit
ed States official
The commissioner reports that the
number Of horses killed because of
gianders or farcy was II each in 1908
and 1909 and 186 in 1910 but he says
the increase shown is partially due to
the fact that there was, during the
past year, a more general compliance
with the law requiring reports to be
made to his office by Veterinarians.
animal undertakers and others and he
also adds that it is the opinion of
many that some indemnity should be
made to the owners of horses con-
demned.
Commissioner Averill speaks of the
number of cases of rabies which have
been reported to him and especially
Of an outbreak in Danbury in May
last In connection with the sub
ject he says:
The commissioner was criticised by
many people and by few newspa-
pers as being unreas0na BILE, arbitrary,
and cruel for causing the dogs so
much inconvenience and suffering.
The commissioner would respectfully
call attention to the fact that the
prompt and radical action of this de-
partment resulted i'm stamping out
the disease in the state. 1t is not
more cruel to require a dog to wear a
. muzzle when at large than 1t is to
n harness and 1t is not too much to
say that the combined and cumula-
tive sufferings of the dogs covered
by the commissioners orders of two
years ago through proper muzzling
was extremely mild i'm comparison
with the suffering and agony of one
dog or one COW or one horse with