Plate Plate II-Bacillus of rouget, and Pasteur's vaccine for the same.. 246 246 Plate IV.—Bacillus luteus (suis): Culture in gelatine plates 246 246 Plate Plate VIII.-Lateral aspect of lung of affected calf...... VI.—Bacillus luieus (suis): Culture in gelatine tubes, &c............. Plate VII.-Bacillus luteus (suis): Culture on potato. INVESTIGATION OF VERMINOUS BRONCHITIS: Plate IX.-Section of the same; bronchus crowded with worms.. Plate XI.-Showing various lung worms 246 246 225 2-8 244 288 4 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Animal Industry, containing an account of the work during the past year for the suppression of the disease known as contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle, and also of the investigations of this and other diseases of our domestic animals, and in regard to the pres ent condition of the cattle industry. The outbreak of pleuro-pneumonia in the Western States, which originated in Ohio in 1883, and which at one time threatened irreparable injury to the cattle industry of the nation, has now been practically suppressed. The disease was carried from Ohio to Illinois, and from Illinois to Missouri and Kentucky, great damage being done by the interruptions of trade and commerce which resulted. The loss of cartle was less than would be expected from an outbreak of such proportions, and this was due, not to any diminished virulence of the disease, but to its early discovery and the measures adopted for its control and eradication. The part taken by this Bureau in the discovery and extirpation of the outbreak will be understood from a perusal of the present and the preceding report. Since the report was written information has been received that the bill which has been pending in the Kentucky legislature for the extirpation of pleuro-pneumonia in that State has become a law, and it is now only a question of a short time when all langer there will be removed. This makes a period of about twenty months from the discovery of the plague in the West to its complete suppression, during which time the loss from restrictions and interruptions to trade have amounted to millions of dollars-probably to four or five times as much as would have been sufficient to extirpate this exotic disease from the whole country. With proper laws the malady could have been just as effectually extirpated within a few weeks and at an expense not exceeding $100,000. For the fortunate termination of this outbreak the country is indebted to the prompt and efficient co-operation of the authorities of the infected States, and particularly to Drs. M. R. Trumbower, C. B. Michener, and W. H. Wray, inspectors of this Bureau, whose professional knowledge 5 and good judgment were invaluable in the diagnosis of the plague, and in proposing and carrying out measures for its suppression. The inspection of cattle in the pleuro-pneumonia districts of the East has been completed so far as is possible under the present law. An appendix has been added to this report which gives details of these inspections, the indications being that while there is probably somewhat less of the disease in Pennsylvania and New Jersey than existed a few years ago, there is little if any change in New York and Maryland. All of these States have unfortunately adopted the practice of inoculation, under the mistaken idea that it will eradicate the disease and save expense. This operation is not followed by the supervision and precautions which the experience of Europe has shown to be necessary to pre-, vent the spread of the disease where it is employed. As a consequence, dangerous animals from inoculated herds enter markets and are sold where they disseminate the plague. The operation, instead of being a protection to the community, has, therefore, become a great danger, which nothing but a strong national law will be likely to remove. Owing to the importance of this subject, considerable space has been devoted to a consideration of the results of inoculation as practiced abroad, and it is believed that a careful perusal of the facts there given will convince any unbiased person that this operation should be prohibited in the United States. The investigations of the disease known as swine plague have proceeded almost without interruption during the year and have yielded very im portant results. In the study of a virulent outbreak which occurred in this vicinity a microbe was discovered which had not been before described, and which was certainly the cause of this outbreak. It raises the question once more as to whether essentially different contagious diseases have been heretofore grouped together as swine plague. To settle this we have already begun an investigation of outbreaks in dif ferent parts of the country, and with the present perfected methods of research, and guided by the knowledge accumulated by the investigations of the past, we will soon be able to determine this important point beyond controversy. The reason for our failures in the past to completely elucidate the cause and nature of the maladies of swine which we have from time to time investigated, now seems very plain. Indeed this has been one of the most difficult of all diseases to investigate, because it is almost invariably complicated, except in its first stages, with septic disorders. The virus first attacks the intestine, causing enor mous ulcers through which septic microbes gain admission to the tissues, and the disease is then no longer simple swine plague, but it is a com plication of this with one or more additional disorders. The germs found were, consequently, not those of swine plague alone, but a variety were present, those of septicemia being often more numerous and more prominent than those of swine plague. To discriminate between these, F LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 7 and to learn the exact relation of each to the malady in question, has Experiments are now in progress to determine the most certain and practical means of preventing this destructive malady of swine, and facts of very great importance have been discovered, which it it is hoped will enable us to develop a method that will prove, at the same time, safe and reliable. I have been ably assisted in these investigations by Dr. Theobald Smith, whose untiring services have been indispensable and invaluable; also, by Dr. F. L. Kilborne, who has had charge of the experiment station. The investigations of Southern cattle fever have been limited to the collection of data bearing upon the extent of the district permanently infected with this disease. A map is inserted, which shows the approximate location of the border line of this district from the Mississippi to the Rio Grande. It must be considered more or less provisional in character, and subject to correction as more complete information can be collected. Investigations have also been made in regard to gapes in fowls and verminous bronchitis in calves, which have yielded interesting and valuable results. The statistics of cattle imported through the neat cattle quarantine stations are given in detail, and the orders and regulations in regard to quarantining such cattle are now for the first time collected and published in a connected form. Reports are also appended of Messrs. H. M. Taylor and S. H. Standart, agents of the Bureau, and of Messrs. E. W. Perry, J. N. Bradley, and Lawrence Wilson, inspectors, on various subjects connected with the condition of the animal industry in different parts of the country. An able paper by Dr. Ezra M. Hunt on the extension of contagious an imal diseases and methods for their limitation will be read at this time with much interest. An investigation of the extent of swine plague and the losses from it in Nebraska, and a collection of the laws of the various States and Territories for the control of contagious animal diseases, with items of interest from correspondents, complete the contents of the vol ume. Respectfully submitted, February 12, 1886. Hon. NORMAN J. COLMAN, D. E. SALMON, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Commissioner of Agriculture. |