Year: 1860

A special meeting of the members Of the
Worcester Agricultural Society is called to be
held May 80, to consider whether it will not
be best to dispense with the usual exhibition
| of neat stock at their next annual cattle show
Undoubtedly the alarm which is now rife
among the farmers will cause a general sus
pension of the cattle show part of their fall
exhibitions Meantime the diseased cows are
| found in new quarters, a Sandwich butcher
having been so unfortunate as to have trans
| ported one of them to the Cape vicinity. He
purchased some beef cattle at Brighton, one of
which died soon after arriving in Sandwich,
and on investigation the lungs of the animal
were found black and sw@den, and full of cor
ruption.


The State Board of Agriculture held
meeting in Boston, Tuesday afternoon, Mar
shall p. Wilder temporarily in the chair, to
consider the subject of the pleuro-pneumonia,
which we find reported in the Journal. 1t was
resolved to hold no state fair, under the aus,
pices of the board, this year. Dr. Loring of
Salem read a report on the cattle disease, in
which fear was expressed that the disease
had been carried to spots which would escape
the vigilance of the commissioners. The num-
Der of persons whose cattle had been exposed,
so far as the commissioners knew, was seven
ty-iive. The number of cattle marked or kill
ed was seven hundred and fifty Every case
thus far discovered could be traced to Leonard
Stoddard's calf. To draw Gordon about the
disease was the purpose of the commissioners,
and in the work of arresting it. progress they
asked for public support. In no part of the
state could the disease work such disastrous
| results as in North Brookfield and vicinity.
The report urged the suspension of the several
exhibitions throughout the state the coming
autumn, and that an effort should be made to
relinquish its annual appropriation from the
state, for the purpose ofrendering the financial
burthen as light as possible.


DR.. Bartlett of Chelmsford asked why the
disease in the herd of Mr.. Chenery had not
| spread if it was contagious. He did not say
| it was not contagious, but he was somewhat
| doubtful upon the subject.


DR.. Loring said the disease was as peculiar
and specific as the small pox, and that the term
peuro- pneumonia did not convey an adequate
idea of the disease. 1t was clearly contagious
and if it was epidemic, why did it not burst
out and spread through Belmont? Every cir
eumstance of its journey to North Brookfied
and its spread there, clearly indicated that the
uISSdoO " do NV DuI llldt IL dS COH'
tagous.


DR.. Loring said he had never seen an old
case that had entirely recovered. In some
cases there seems to be chronic enlargement
or thickening Of the whole lung, which cut
like young veal or liver, having a semi fibrous
appearance. In other cases nature seemed TO
detach the disease from the healthy portion of
the lungs, and hermetically seal it up in a semi
fibrous sack. The animal probably could not
have given the disease while in that condition.


Prof. Clark of Amherst said he was terribly
oppressed by what he saw at North Brookf field,
and he thought too much effort could not be
made to extirpate the disease, which, he had
no doubt was contagious, although it had not
yet been proved to be epidemic. 1t seemed to
him that the disease might remain for months,
and even years, in the lungs of an animal, un.
til it was fatally developed by overworking, or
some other cause.


Mr.. Smith of Mddlefeld said he went to
North Brookfield somewhat under the impres
sion that the pleuro-pneumonia was humbug
but he was fully convinced of the virulence Of
the disease.


The discussion was participated in by sever
al members of the board from all parts of the
state, and the session was continued yesterday
afternoon and evening.