JUNE, 1880.

PLATE.

A TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE.

In consequence of the continued depression and great cry against the over preservation of game, we determined to set a good example and sallied forth with our rifles and two pretty dogs to make "ground game" of the only stag on our domain-positively the last. But, not knowing, reader, whether to send you his head or send you his tail, a neck or the haunch, we have sent you the whole carcase, with a foreground of wild flowers, and a gentle-flowing rill, which with the pyramid-like mountains rising in the background

may, perhaps, bring an offer from you to take it off our hands and stock it with mountain goats, or, to mind the words of a poet who flourished more than two thousand years ago, and sang somewhat in this strain :

"The same hand rears the violet, and guides the tiny
rills,

That pour'd the waters round the globe and lifted up
the hills,
That ploug'd the hollow valleys, and stretch'd abroad
the plains,

And strew'd with gold the azure vault where Luna
calmly reigns.'

THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES (ANIMALS) ACT.

The Annual Report of the Veterinary Department | of the Privy Council Office for the year 1879 contains the usual summary by Professor Brown,and an appendix of statistic tables relating to the preva. lence of contagious diseases of animals in Great Britain and the importation of foreign animals. It is now rather more than sixteen months since the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1878 came into full operation, and Professor Brown considers that, whilst the time has not been of sufficient duration to form an accurate opinion as to the value of the whole measure as a piece of sanitary legislation, there has been sufficient evidence to justify the statement that "it has worked well whenever its provisions have been applied with promptitude and decision." No doubt that is so, for the Act, so far as it relates to the repression of home diseases, is based on a principle upon which it would be hard to improve The isolation of disease, by declaring its surroundings to be an infected place out of which no animal can be removed, and when necessary the further definition of an area or district outside the infected place in which the movement of animals is under the control of the executive authorities, is a commou-sense measure, the success of which we have never LD SERIES

doubted. The one shortcoming of the Act is, as we have frequently pointed out, in respect of its provisions for the importation of foreign animals. The principle on which this part of the Act was based is that of slaughter at the ports of landing, and it was the intention of the framers of the Act to make this principle absolute. They were, however, overruled, and the principle is consequently applied in part only. Now that the nature of the chief contagious diseases of animals is so well understood there is no difficulty whatever in determining the character and scope of the legisla tion which could deal with them effectually. If pleuro pneumonia is not communicable by any form of mediate contagion, it is, of course, possible to confine the contagion of that disease-or rather to annihilate it-within the limits of the defined parts of certain ports called foreign animals' wharves, where foreign animals so affected are slaughtered, and in practice this would appear to be the case. Foot-and-mouth disease, being communicable by more than one form of mediate contagion, may, in spite of every precaution, escape from foreign animals' wharves, and be communicated to home stock; and it is impossible to deny that this is a danger to which the Act constantly

exposes us. Sheep-pox is another disease which is not likely to be kept within the artificial boundaries of defined parts of ports. And the most dreaded of all the contagious diseases to which horned stock are subject, cattle plague, is of so subtle a nature, and so readily communicable by every possible form of mediate contagion, that it is practically uncontrollable at ports of landing. These are simple facts which cannot be controverted, and from them may be deduced the opinion, which we have on previous occasions so freely expressed, that no measure can render the herds and flocks of this country perfectly safe from the diseases abovementioned which does not provide for the total prohibition of all foreign living animals for food purposes. We believe the day will come when such a measure as this will be rendered imperatively necessary, and that public opinion will overrule minor interests and pass it. The next visitation of cattle plague will be likely to accelerate matters in this direction. Meanwhile, we have to put up with an imperfect measure. The home re-occurred during the year 1879, except that of strictions are excellent, and of themselves are of great practical value to the country, quite independent of possible and probable importations of diseases from abroad; but the strength of a chain is only equal to that of its weakest link, and whilst that part of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1878 which relates to the importation of disease is capable of admitting contagion at any time, "the value of the whole measure as a piece of sanitary legislation "-to use Professor Brown's own terms-is only equal to that of this one weak point. Nevertheless, the Act is a measure of reform. It has worked well hitherto, and until it breaks down unmistakably in its weak point we are perfectly aware of the futility of urging the extension of its present provisions to the full scope of the principle on which it is constructed.

In reviewing the history of the working of the Act during the first year of its existence, Professor Brown points out that the one great difficulty hitherto experienced has been in connection with the varied action of local authorities. The provisions of the Act are so clear that there is no room for error; but outside the Act itself there is room for discretion, and local authorities vary very considerably as to the amount of discretion they exercise. Absolute uniformity must never be hoped for so long as local authorities have the carrying out of the provisions of the Act, and in the end it is probable that the whole executive will have to be undertaken by the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council. Mean

while Professor Brown suggests that certain broad principles of action might be resorted to by local authorities with great advantage. "It might be universally agreed upon," he says, "as a basis of all procedure, that every reported outbreak of disease should be critically investigated with the assistance of a competent veterinary surgeon, whenever such aid could be obtained; next, that arrangements be made in every district for the establishment of an Executive Committee, with a sufficient number of members to render it a matter of certainty that a quorum, which might be small in number, should be at all necessary times available; further, it might be determined

that authority should be so delegated to responsi ble officers that no delay need occur in carrying the law into effect as soon as the existence of disease was ascertained." We commend these suggestions to the attention of local authorities, as being likely to save them trouble and add to their usefulness. Of the 6,000 railway stations in Great Britain, at which there are pens for the detention of animals during or in connection with traffic, about 5,650 have been paved to allow of their being properly cleansed; but in the remainder the absence of such pavement prevents the regula tions of the Act from being properly complied with. The regulations affecting the conveyance of animals by sea have, on the whole, been properly carried out. But no marked improvement has taken place as to the general cleanliness of markets, saleyards, and other places where animals are frequently congregated; only 41 of the 415 local authorities have exercised their powers in this respect. No extensive outbreak of disease has swine-fever, of which no less than 17,000 cases were reported, and which continued to prevail at its close. Losses have been exceptionally severe from "diseases which depend on climatic influences," which do not, of course, come under the provisions of the Act. Pleuro-pneumonia increased to a material extent in England, but diminished in Scotland and Wales; the total number of cases reported in Great Britain being 180 less than the total for 1878. The counties in which the chief increase of this disease has occurred are Kent, Lancashire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire; a decrease has taken place in Durham, Cheshire, Warwickshire and Northumberland; whilst Bedfordshire, Cornwall, Devonshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, Westmoreland and Wiltshire remained free at the end of the year. Foot-andmouth disease increased a little at the commencement of the year, but declined greatly towards its close; only three cases being reported for the whole of Great Britain during the last week in December. In Cambridgeshire it was found necessary to declare an infected "area" or district by order of Council, and this was productive of "considerable opposition" on the part of stock owners who found the restrictions to be irksome. This was the only case in which an infected area had to be defined under the provisions of the Act during the year. European countries from which animals are imported have been "tolerably free" from the more serious contagious diseases of animals, so far as information goes; but from the United States of America there were imported 137 cattle affected with pleuro-pneumonia, 33 sheep affected with foot-and-mouth disease, 37 with sheep-scab, and 974 pigs affected with swine-fever; the number of cattle affected with pleuro-pneumonia from the United States being "far in excess of the total number of cases of the disease which have been detected among cattle imported in the same period from the Continent of Europe." The total number of imported cattle, sheep and swine from all countries which were affected with contagious diseases was 1,006; namely 147 cases of pleuro-pneumonia, 162 cases of foot-and-mouth disease, amongst cattle, sheep