a large number of hogs were said to be very sick. On arrival found two dead. Autopsy revealed no lesions whatever.

In the afternoon I visited the farm of Mr. William Watson, in the other direction from the village, about 4 miles distant. He had some pigs which were quite sick. We did not think best to kill any. He has lost about fifty. Visited several other farms in his neighborhood, but did not find any dead pigs or any liable to die immediately. On nearly every farm, however, a greater or less number of pigs were sick.

On the morning of the 28th, we visited the farm of Dr. De Coursey, in another direction from Centerville, 12 miles distant. He had informed us that he had lost some pigs and was anxious that we should see the herd. On arrival did not find any dead, but one which was very sick he allowed us to kill. The autopsy revealed very extensive exudative pleurisy, which on the right side was encysted. Both lungs were solid. There was extensive pericarditis. The lungs, on section, showed lesions very closely resembling those of tuberculosis. The lymphatic glands at the base of the lungs were involved, however. In the intestines there were one or two necrotic areas, but in each area was embedded the head of an echinorhynchus; otherwise the stomach and intestines were normal.

On the morning of the 29th I again visited the farm of Joseph Simons and found a hog dead. The autopsy revealed typical extensive button-shaped areas of deep necrosis through the intestines, infarcts in the spleen, swelling with reddening and mottling on section of the lymphatic glands. There were no lung lesions. Another hog, very sick, he allowed us to kill. At the autopsy found no swelling or redness of the lymphatic glands. There was extensive purulent peritonitis. The abdominal cavity contained about three pints of dirty grayish yellow fluid, very offensive. The intestines were attached to the walls of the cavity and the coils of the intestine to each other. These adhesions were easily broken down. The thoracic organs were normal. The intestine, on section, showed a large number of necrotic areas, and in nearly every case these were associated with echinorhynchus. In some cases these areas had completely perforated the wall of the gut, and were pressing out the peritoneal covering.

In the afternoon we visited the farm of Mr. Holliday, in another direction from Centerville, about 8 miles distant. He had lost about sixty hogs. One which had been dead and buried twenty-four hours we had dug up. The autopsy revealed pneumonia with extensive pleurisy and pericarditis; lymphatic glands swollen, reddened, and on section mottled. There were no other lesions. Intestines normal. Cultures were made from all these cases except the first and the last, that of Mrs. Emory and of Mr. Holliday. I can not express an opinion until the cultures have been examined, except in the case of one of Mr. Simons's pigs, in which the lesions were those typical of hog cholera. The liver in all the pigs examined had Sclerostoma pinguicola (Hassall) in abundance. In some cases the portal vein at the base was partly filled with a thrombus in which the worms were embedded. They were present in all cases in the smaller branches of this vein.

The farmers are getting rid of their hogs, shipping them mostly to Philadelphia. Many have died on the road. I would advise that some means be adopted to prevent this shipment.

SPLENIC OR TEXAS FEVER.

Under date of January 15, 1890, Mr. C. P. Johnson, secretary of the Illinois State Board of Live Stock Commissioners, writes as follows:

I have the honor to transmit herewith the following resolution and recommendations, which were unanimously adopted by the Interstate Conference of State Boards of Live Stock Commissioners, State Veterinarians, and other boards having in charge the extirpation of contagious diseases among domestic animals, in convention assembled in Springfield, Ill., December 18 and 19, 1889:

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'Resolved, That this conference recommend that, to guard against the introduction of splenic or Texas fever by the transportation of Southern cattle, the Department of Agriculture be requested to make its regulations applicable to cattle shipped from south of the southern boundary of the States of Kansas and Missouri, west to the northeast corner of the Territory of New Mexico; such regulations to be in force from the 1st day of March to the 1st day of December in each year, as

set forth by the Department proclamation in relation to splenic fever of July 3, 1889. The conference also recommends that said Department provide rules for cleansing and disinfecting all cars used in the transportation of animals.

"Your committee are pleased to report that the existing regulations regarding the transportation of Southern cattle have been of great and material benefit during the past season, there having been a much less loss from splenic fever than in former years among cattle in Northern States: and express the hope that the cordial cooperation of National and State authorities will altogether prevent the appearance of this disease among Northern cattle."

Under date of February 11, 1890, Mr. Charles H. Baker, secretary of the National Live Stock Exchange, Chicago, writes as follows:

'I have the honor to hand you herewith a copy of a resolution adopted at a meeting of the executive committee of the exchange, held the 8th instant:

"Whereas the cattle interests, North and South, require concerted action among all parties interested, producers, consumers, feeders, exporters, railroad companies, stockyard companies, and commission merchants; and

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"Whereas such a result will have to be obtained, first, by a common and fixed infection line; second, by requiring all railroad companies transporting cattle from such scheduled district during the infection season' to set aside a portion of their feed yards for the exclusive use of the cattle from said district en route to the different markets; third, by requiring the stockyard companies to set aside a section of their yards for the exclusive use of cattle coming to market from the scheduled district during the infection season; fourth, that the railroad companies be required to cleanse and disinfect all their cars delivering cattle from the scheduled district at ⚫ terminal points,' i. e., the markets, before allowing them to be reloaded with stock, and we recommend that such disinfection be done under the direct supervision of the local live stock exchanges, by a United States officer designated by the Bureau of Animal Industry before the cars leave the stockyards, in order to secure uniform service and proper disinfection; and

"Whereas, the scheduled districts as established by the United States Government and the districts established by several of the governors of different States differ from each other: Therefore,

"Resolved, That it is the sense of the National Live Stock Exchange that the 'north line of the scheduled district should be established by the United States Government at the south line of Kansas, and that all cattle raised south of said line, even if loaded in Kansas, north of the south line, shall be considered as coming from such scheduled district.'

We believe if this is carried out under proper inspection that it will practically do away with the danger of splenic fever.

Mr. Baker writes again, under date of February 20, 1890, as follows:

We are satisfied that the "fever troubles" during the past year (1889) were to a large extent caused by the shipment of southern Texas cattle during the spring months into the Cherokee Strip to points north of the line established by the Department, from which points they were in the course of a few months forwarded to the various markets-Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Louis-and as the freight bills of the railroad companies transporting these cattle to said markets showed them to have originated in a nonscheduled and noninfected district, they were in many instances, notably at Kansas City, yarded among native cattle, the results of which prove that the cattle originated in a district in which there were cattle affected by the "fever," the railroad company's billing to the contrary notwithstanding. In view of the foregoing we believe that the only way to guard against an outbreak of the "fever" is to make the south line of Kansas the dividing point, at least so long as cattle are brought from southern Texas into the Indian Territory in the spring, grazed a few months, and then placed on the Northern markets.

We are satisfied that if the line should be placed on the south boundary of Kansas, the strict sanitary regulations of that State, together with the aid which would be rendered by all southern Kansas cattlemen, would effectually prevent a recurrence of last year's methods of marketing southern Texas cattle. Should there be no cattle taken from southern Texas into the Panhandle, we do not think there would be any trouble caused by establishing the line across said Panhandle at about the same place the Illinois line was established last year; that is to say, follow the southern line of Kansas to 100° longitude, then south to about 34° latitude, then west to the New Mexico line.

We are satisfied that there would be no loss to owners of Texas cattle by an order

requiring all cattle from Texas and the Indian Territory to be yarded in a division of the stockyards provided at this market for their exclusive use, as such cattle are invariably sold here for immediate slaughter.

Hon. Lyman U. Humphrey, governor of the State of Kansas, writes as follows, under date of February 27, 1890:

I have the honor to inclose to you a copy of preamble and resolutions adopted by the Live Stock Sanitary Commission of Kansas on the 10th day of February, 1890, and respectfully request a careful consideration of the same.

The preamble and resolutions referred to are as follows:

Whereas the State of Kansas has, on account of its very large cattle interests and also its particularly exposed position, geographically, an especial interest in preventing any outbreak or spread of Texas or splenic fever, or other infectious cattle diseases; and

Whereas the State, through its Live Stock Sanitary Commission, so long as there were any appropriations by the State legislature to defray the expenses, did recognize the above fact and did employ inspectors whose duty it was to prevent the introduction into the State of any cattle capable of communicating any infectious disease whatever; and

Whereas the Legislature made no appropriation that was available for this purpose for the years 1888, 1889, and 1890, and thereby the aforesaid inspectors could not be retained at the expense of the State; and

Whereas the Kansas City Stockyards Company, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé; Missouri Pacific; Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad Companies did at our request assume and have met the expense of five inspectors up to December 1, 1889, and this without any law or power from our board to compel them to do so; and

Whereas these inspectors were appointed by and received their authority from our board, and it was attempted by paying them through the State treasurer to relieve the several companies furnishing the money from censure by a portion of their patrons who owned cattle south of the danger line, and this secret, notwithstanding the precautions taken, has become known to such an extent as to materially injure the companies named; and

Whereas the inspectors appointed, as above explained, have, notwithstanding the especially exposed position of the State, been so uniformly successful in determining the origin of the cattle which received permits from them to enter the State of Kansas that we have for the past two years been almost clear of Texas fever, although the number of cattle imported for feeding purposes is greater than ever before; and Whereas the plan and system adopted by these men, of inspecting entirely by brands, in the knowledge of which they are especially expert, and giving no credence to any statements or history not agreeing with the origin shown by the brands; and that they have thus demonstrated absolutely that this is the only way to inspect against Texas fever with any guaranty of success; and

Whereas the expense and onus of this inspection has in the past fallen entirely upon the State of Kansas and certain corporations hereinbefore named, while the benefits accruing from it have been directly shared by all other States and markets in the Missouri Valley and indirectly by all States and markets in the United States, since the industry can not be protected locally without benefiting it generally; and Whereas the necessity for protection is greater than ever before, owing to the greatly increased numbers of cattle being fed this winter, the majority of which will when marketed be what is termed export cattle; and

Whereas the inspection under authority of the State of Kansas carries no weight in adjoining States or in European markets, whose rules differ more or less from those adopted by the Kansas Live Stock Sanitary Commission, and is at the same time a source of jealousy and disputes between this and other State authorities; and Whereas this system of local inspection is in force in but very few of our States, and thereby the impression is created in the other States and abroad that it is an evidence of the existence of disease rather than a desire to keep it out; and

Whereas, if the Government of the United States should assume and control this inspection there would be great advantages gained for the cattle industry, as follows: First, the permits issued by the inspectors would be indisputable and would be accepted in all of the States and also in Europe. Second, the inspectors could, through advices from the Department of Agriculture, at all times guard against the introduction of other diseases as well as splenic fever. Third, national inspection instead of State inspection would everywhere be accepted in the light of preventing the introduction of disease rather than an attempt to eradicate it.

Fourth, the high authority of the inspection would be a pledge of impartial and honest work and it would beget a confidence and respect that would tend to raise values to the producers and generally benefit the live-stock industry. Fifth, many thousands of cattle are shipped direct from the ranges to the feeding grounds north of the established quarantine line, which could be more closely watched by the inspectors through advice from the Department agents who are traveling in the range territory much of their time: Therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense and the opinion of the Live Stock Sanitary Commission of the State of Kansas, that the inspection of all cattle being moved across the quarantine lines established by the United States Government should be made by inspectors appointed by and under salary from the Government.

Resolved, That we are most thoroughly satisfied from our experience of the past two years that the inspection against the introduction of splenic fever should be by the brands of the inspected cattle and by men who are especially expert in the reading of and knowledge as to the origin of such brands.

Mr. Watson Pickrell, inspector for this Department, reports as follows, under date of June 15, 1890:

I have been in Kansas City, St. Louis, East St. Louis, Bloomington, and Chicago. At Kansas City everything was working satisfactorily; the inspectors examine every carload of cattle received from any railroad that has connection with the scheduled district. Each car is labeled "Southern cattle," and the waybill of all cattle shipped from any point south of the schedule line is stamped accordingly. The railroads claim to clean and disinfect every car that has been loaded with Southern cattle, and there is no reason to doubt that they are doing it well. I do not think there has been an error committed yet in mixing cattle at Kansas City, nor do I think there will be, so long as the inspectors continue to perform their duty as they are doing now. The greater part of their work has to be done at night or in early morning. The authorities of the Union Stockyards at St. Louis and the National Stockyards at East St. Louis are using every precaution to keep the schedule cattle isolated from Northern cattle. * 營 *The people in the small towns near St. Louis have complained of the butchers going to St. Louis, buying Southern cattle and driving them through the streets to the slaughter-house. AIton alone claims to have had sixty milch cows die of Texas fever last year through infection by butcher's stock. Both stockyards at St. Louis agree to furnish steamboats, with each shipment of cattle a certificate showing where the cattle were shipped from, and the Illinois authorities say they will require every boat with cattle to show where they came from before they will permit them to unload.

Inspector Samuel H. Pierce writes from Chicago as follows, under date of July 1, 1890:

The receipts of Southern cattle in this market for the month of June were 82,220 head. The railroads are fully complying with the regulations both in cleansing and disinfecting their cars and stamping their waybills. So far as it is possible to ascertain, the Southern cattle are kept separated at the feeding places along the lines of the various roads.

ANTHRAX OR CHARBON.

Early in June, 1890, an outbreak of anthrax was reported to the Department as having occurred in the Yazoo bottoms of western Mississippi. In response to numerous urgent requests from the infected district, Dr. W. H. Wray, an inspector for this Bureau, was dispatched thither. He reported as follows, under date of June 25, 1890:

Pursuant to your orders of the 14th instant, I proceeded forthwith to Yazoo City, Miss., for the purpose of investigating a disease called "charbon" that was raging among the cattle and mules of that county.

I arrived at Yazoo City Tuesday morning, the 18th instant, and was met by Prof. G. C. Creeman, of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi, and Dr. John W. Conaway, of the Experiment Station of Missouri. We joined forces, procured a team and started at once for Silver Creek bottoms, 35 miles from town,

going via Lake City. Every plantation en route was inspected. The first place at which we stopped was Tokeba plantation, where we found one mule affected with swelling of the abdomen, sheath and forearms; pulse 48; temperature 101° F.: animal in good flesh and spirits, with a ravenous appetite. The swelling of the abdomen was first noticed about ten days before. At the time of my visit it extended over the whole surface, was quite hard to the touch, and would pit upon pressure, but there was no fluctuation or emphysema. There were 18 mules on this plantation, of which 4 were affected, the symptoms differing very little from the above. The drinking water for all the stock on this plantation is procured from pumps.

The next plantation visited was El Dorado, on which 74 mules are kept. Fifteen of them were affected with swelling of the abdomen, but all were recovering. After an examination of the sick animals on this place we proceeded to Deerfield plantation, on Wolf Lake, where we found 32 head of mules and 2 horses. Nine of the mules and 1 horse were affected, but all recovering. Mr. J. T. Blunt, the owner of this plantation, stated that his animals had been affected every year regularly during the summer months, the disease always appearing after a drought and affecting the same animals year after year in a mild way. As soon as a case appears it is treated with nitric acid. Mr. Blunt has not lost a case in several years. The stock on this plantation procure their drinking water from the lake.

We stopped for the night at Lake City, which is situated on the east shore of Wolf Lake, and is composed of a store and three negro huts. We procured entertainment with the proprietor of the store. On the morning of the 19th instant we left Lake City at daybreak, crossed the lake by means of a rope ferry, then going through almost impassable swamps and muddy roads, reached Anchorage plantation, 12 miles from Lake City, about noon. Here we found 54 head of mules, of which 12 had been affected; 10 died and 2 recovered. The sick animals on this place had been treated with Mangan's Louisiana Charbon Cure, except the two that recovered, which were treated with nitric acid. As there were no sick animals at this place, all having died or recovered, we proceeded to Green Hill plantation. Here we found 94 head of mules. Fourteen had died on this place and 4 are now sick, affected with swollen abdomen. One ox and one cow had also died. I held a post-mortem examination on the cow, which was yet warm, having died recently. The blood was in a fluid condition, not coagulating on exposure to the air, very dark in color. The stomach, intestines, heart, and lungs were apparently healthy. The spleen was very much enlarged, the capsule being dark blue and the internal portion disintegrated, very soft and black in color. The lymphatic glands of the abdomen were enlarged; the liver covered and full of petechial spots; bladder healthy, and urine of normal color but cloudy. There was no external swelling or enlargement on the body of the animal, but from the appearance of the spleen and the fluid condition of the blood, the cause of death was due to the septic condition of the blood-possibly anthrax (charbon). The mules first affected on this plantation were those used by the negroes going from place to place at night after their day's work was finished.

From this place we went to that of Andrew Smith (colored), where we found 2 mules affected. One of them was recovering, the other had a pulse of 52, thready in character, temperature 103° F., swelling of the sternum and axillary region. These mules have been running at large along the banks of Silver Creek. We then proceeded to West Bank plantation, the property of W. H. Lambeth, where the first mule of the present outbreak was affected. This animal was taken sick about the middle of May and allowed to run at large up and down the banks of Silver Creek, coming in contact with a number of mules, cattle, and hogs, until it died, about ten days after the disease was first noticed.

We proceeded from this place to Mr. Gales's plantation, 7 miles distant, where we found the carcass of a mule that had died a few hours before our arrival. The neck of this animal was much swollen from the throat to the chest. According to the history given by the owner the animal suffered severely from suffocation, due to the oedema of the glottis. With the exception of the swelling of the throat and the cellulitis, the lesions found resembled those of the cow, sections of which, also the blood and urine, I forwarded to the Department by express for further investigation. The cases that are affected in the throat invariably prove fatal, while only a few of those which have the abdomen affected are so. There is doubtless a septic condition of the blood, probably induced by the presence of Bacillus anthracis. Before my arrival Professor Creelman had prescribed chlorate of potash and muriate of iron internally and bathing the enlargements with a solution of carbolic acid strong enough to act as a counterirritant. The majority of the mules thus treated are making a good recovery. About 100 mules have died during the present outbreak. The mules in this section of the country are worth on an average about $150 per head.