The first sickness in Mr. Bailey's herd occurred May 10. The first cow affected, Lady Florentia, had been in his stable in Peoria up to this time, when she was taken to his farm seven miles in the country. This cow had not been in actual contact with any of Mr. Tripp's cattle, and the only way in which the disease could be accounted for in her was that it had been carried by some person going from one stable to the other. This cow recovered from the disease but several others of the same herd died within a few days after taking the disease. On August 18, a cow was killed and examined in the presence of Dr. J. H. Rauch, Secretary of the State Board of Health, and Dr. N. H. Pooren, State Veterinarian, both of whom had been invited to be present in order that they might see the disease and be convinced of its nature.
Mr. Epler's place at Virginia, Cass county, Illinois, was visited August 22. No animals were found showing symptoms of the disease, and Mr. Epler stated that he had lost none from his original herd since the sale, but a cow which he had bought at Beardstown, Illinois, and brought to his place in April or May, which died in June of an acute lung disease that evidently was pleuro-pneumonia. A cow sold to Porter Yates, of Springfield, Illinois, at Mr. Epler's sale, was attacked by the disease and died in April. Another cow sold to E. S. Hodson, of Springfield, soon after her arrival was treated for a similar disease. Another cow sold to Frank Gaston, of Normal, Illinois, became sick April 6, but recovered.
As very many of the cattle sold at the Epler sale soon afterward became affected with pleuro-pneumonia, and as the mingling of the animals at the sale was the only means by which many of these herds could be connected, it became very certain that the disease in Illinois had been brought to the state with some animals that had been sent to Mr. Epler. The animals which he had collected for this sale had come from a number of different herds located at widely separated points. Upon investigation, it was found that only one of these herds had been affected with pleuro-pneumonia. That herd belonged to Mr. C. R. C. Dye, of Troy, Ohio. Mr. Epler had purchased five cows from Mr. Dye on December 28, 1883. These cows arrived at Mr. Epler's farm at Virginia, Illinois January 4, 1884. Two of the five cows purchased from Mr. Dye had been previously bought from the herd of James Lyman, of Downer's Grove, Illinois, in May, 1883. Mr. Dye had bought cattle from several farms in the east, but it was decided that the disease had been brought to his herd by some grade Jerseys which he bought in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland. One of these cows had, apparently, recovered from the disease, but was still able to communicate the disease which was afterwards determined.
The steps taken to eradicate the dreadful disease were as follows:
(1) Investigation to determine the existence of pleuro-pneumonia in any suspected locality in the country.
(2) The immediate quarantine and isolation of any herd in which the disease was found. If any considerable amount of the disease was found in any section of the country so as to be dangerous of spreading to other districts, the immediate quarantine of that district was enforced, as well as the prohibition of the movement of any animals from one herd or premises to any other within the district, or of any cattle to be upon any highway or any enclosed land within such district; provided, however, that animals might be moved, upon a written permit, signed by an inspector of the Bureau of Animal Industry. As soon as the quarantine order had been made, the immediate inspection, tagging, and numbering of every bovine animal in the district, and the keeping of a record of the same, and a record of all animals moved by permits was attended to so that the Bureau of Animal Industry might have complete control of the movements of all cattle within the quarantined districts.
(3) The condemnation and slaughter of all animals found to be diseased or exposed to the disease within the quarantined districts, and the thorough disinfection of all premises where such animals had been, or on which contagious was suspected to exist. At the same time, inspection and post-mortem examinations were made of every animal slaughtered during the quarantine, whether purchased and slaughtered by order of the Bureau of Animal Industry or killed by butchers, or others for their own use.