Exhibits H and I are copies of the respective post mortem examinations of the cattle above referred to. The copies are not certified to by Dr. Anderson, or any other person. They were received by Dr. Crewe through the mail, from Dr. Anderson, the federal inspector of South St. Paul.
On August 2 and 3, 1918, the herd bull, Blackwood of Page, was again tested by Dr. Thompson and found to be tubercular and quarantined. It is claimed he was tested before being purchased by the defendants, and was found then to be healthy, but the evidence in this regard is somewhat conflicting.
On August 16 and 17, 1918, the defendants' herd was examined by Dr. Thompson, a federal inspector in North Dakota, under the directions of Dr. Crewe, when 6 more head of the Walters herd were found to be tubercular, and quarantined. Fourteen head had been found tubercular, as above stated, by Dr. Taylor. It appears later I more of the cows of this herd was tested and reacted. On December 4 and 5, 1918, Dr. Taylor made another test of the herd, and found that none reacted.
Other cattle which were on the Walters farm, or which remained after defendants had purchased the herd, which in number were 25 purebred bulls and 3 grade cows, were, shortly after that time, tested by Dr. Sigmond, and were not by him quarantined; and in July, 1918, the same cattle, with the exception of two bulls, were tested by Dr. Miller of Elkin, S. D. Walters had shipped the cattle to Aurora, S. D., to be put in quarantine and to be tested there by A. C. Miller, of Elkin, S. D., a veterinarian. They were tested by him, with the exception of two bulls, and released from quarantine.
The defendants have made five assignments of error, in substance as follows:
The numbers given to the assignments of error in the appellants' brief do not correspond with the numbers of the error in the specifications of error. Appellants in their brief have set forth only the substance of the errors contained in the specifications of error of which they complain. We will adopt the arrangement of them as contained in the brief.
(1) The court erred in refusing to permit the defendants to show by expert testimony that the cattle were afflicted with tuberculosis at the date of their purchase, and in restricting the use of Exhibits H and I.
(2) The court erred in excluding from the evidence a part of Exhibit 4.
