Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1880 — Congress and the Cattle Plague. [ARTICLE]

Congress and the Cattle Plague.

The subject of treating disease of cattle isyearly growing in importance, and an effort will be made to have Congress take the matter in hand. In a recent address. Prof. James Low, of Cornell University, remarked that “the power of enforcing our live stock, sanitary Jaws should be exercised absolutely and instantly, when necessary, and guided by some onb thoroughly versed in the diseases of animals. We have in this count™ live stock worth nearly $2,000,000,00®. Jhe possibilities of loss by the importation or spread of an animal plague are perfectly appalling. With 40,000,000 head of live stock, England has lost in the last thirty-five years live stock valued at $500,000,000; what might not our experience be if we were to allow a general diffusion of the same diseases among our 90,000,000. head of live stock P There is no need to go to England for a terrible example of animal scourge. It so etimated that last year we lost not less than $21,000,000, from one of our native animal plagues, the hog cholera. There is a better prospect now that Congress will give some consideration to the question of how to deal with animal epidemics. There are eight specific disease poisons that are oommunicable from animate to man, and- mo Is* than twenty-oste paraaitea, auy-one of which may nse to the importance of an epizootic/ . ftere are no less than fourteen contagions End thirty-four pararites of farm animals that are not communicable to maw These last may be classified as exotic and indigenous. Maladies that are imported<nd ptaintain their existence by a continuous reproduction of seeds or germs, and that are the tttte plagues, never rise spontaneously on our soil, management, and obviate the conditions <m which the generation of sucir Stta i 7te <^T nd4 ‘ ?Z^bore one . exot H

gredually extending to fe West sffid South. Hit reached th* unfenced cat» tie ranges of ,thik West and South It would be impoesibto to eradicate it, as I hard-mingling with herd would spread the infection on every aide. Whenever thia disease ha* been introduced into oottmnou po*tnw it has maintained a permanent residenee. Since cattte are shipped from Texas and the plains to all parts of the Union, no State will be safe if the infection once reaches them. As the seeds of this disease remain latent in the system for from ten days to three and one-half months, and only become manifest by their effects at the end of this time, infected cattle may be canted from noean to ocean or from the lakes to the gulf, in apparent health, and yet spread pestilence. Unless the United States Government steps in to control the means of extirpating this disease and of protecting against new importations, our herds wilT never be freed of it.” The subject, it will be readily seen, is one of vast importance and -national in its character, and can not be toe aeon subjected to the severest sanitary restraint*. The investigation should be committed to men in ail regards qualified to master it, and the remedies when found should be applied with such vigor as to arrest the spread of the disease. The danger has been too long neglected, and the demand now is for vigorous work.— lndiana State Sentinel. "'’