The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-04-24 00:00:00

THE ANNUAL REPORT ON CATTLE

DISEASES.

The annual report for 1885 of the Agricultural De-
partment of the Privy Council on contagious diseases
amongst cattle and swine, has just been issued. It
gives the record for the year respecting foot-and-
mouth disease, pleuro-pneumonia, and swine fever,
together with particulars relating to the inspection
and importation of cattle and the measures adopted
with respect to foot-and-mouth disease in Germany.
It is satisfactory to learn from the opening statement
in the report that at no previous time during the last
20 years have there been so few questions relating to
diseases of animals in this country to be considered.
The number of animals attacked by foot-and-mouth
disease during the year was only a few over
400, which number is trilling compared with
the returns for some previous years. The
counties in which outbreaks were reported were Bed-
ford, Chester, Leicester, Lincoln, Norfolk, Notting-
ham, Rutland, and York. None of the outbreaks,
however, spread to any extent. This result is attri-
buted to the strict precautions adopted by the local
authorities in accordance with the urgent represen-
tations made to them by the Privy Council. No
satisfactory evidence was obtained as to the origin of
any of the outbreaks. As a natural consequence, the
outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease which were
reported from time to time during the past year
again raised the question of the duration of the acti-
vity of the virus of the disease. However, no oppor-
tunity of obtaining a supply of virus occurred, but
the point in question may be looked upon as
determined for all practical purposes by the facts
of the history of the disease in the United
Kingdom, during nearly half a century; and these
facts clearly indicate that the life of the germ is,
under ordinary circumstances, a short one. Foot-
and-mouth disease always dies out of a country or a
district into which it has been introduced if care be
taken to prevent fresh subjects from being exposed
to the infection, and it is well known that having
entirely ceased it does not reappear unless as the
result of the introduction of fresh infective matter.
Compulsory slaughter as a means of extinguishing
foot-and-mouth disease was again urged by many
eminent agriculturists during the year; but the Privy
Council did not consider a resort to this means at all
necessary. In cattle plague or other fatal disorder
compulsory slaughter is considered necessary by the
chief of the Veterinary Department; but foot-and-
mouth disease is scarcely ever fatal. The outbreaks of
pleuro-pneumonia were more numerous last year than
in 1884. The actual figures were, in 1884, 312 out-
breaks, with 1096 animals attacked, and in 1885, 404
outbreaks, with 1511 animals attacked. These totals
are for Great Britain, but relate really to England
and Scotland, as only one outbreak took place in
Wales in 1885, and no case of the disease was re-
ported in 1884. The increase in the number of out-
breaks of the disease in 1885 was confined to certain
districts. For instance, there were 10 additional out-
breaks in Cumberland in comparison with the num-
ber which occurred in 1884. Four outbreaks took
place in Herta, which in the previous year was quite
free. In Kent 22 outbreaks were added to the num-
ber of the previous year, and 19 outbreaks in excess
of the number of the previous year occurred in Lan-
cashire. Three additional outbreaks in Leicester-
shire, 16 in Middlesex, and 11 in Norfolk, with two
in Northumberland, 11 in York, West Riding, and
four in the metropolis, nearly made up the
excess of the outbreaks of 1885 over those of 1884.
A remarkable increase in the prevalence of swine
fever occurred in the spring and summer of 1885. In
the first six months of the year the outbreaks reached
the number of over 4000—about double the average
number of any previous 12 months. The total for
the year was 7926, against 1877 in the previous year;
and the number of swine attacked reached a total of
38,798, against 8939 in the previous year. No satis-
factory explanation of the sudden increase of the
disease is offered. A large proportion of the
outbreaks were due to the introduction into
premises of swine bought at fairs and
markets, and the fact that the restrictions
which were imposed on sales of swine under
the Markets and Fairs Swine - fever Order
checked the course of gthe disease almost as
soon as they began to operate suggests that the free
movement of swine to and from markets have a great
deal to do with the extension of the disease. The re-
ports of the Inspectors of the Privy Council stationed
at ports where fcreign animals may be landed indicate
that the sanitary condition of stock in the exporting
countries and the regulations enforced in those
countries for prevention of the exportation of diseased
or infected animals were satisfactory. There were
landed in Great Britain during 1885 from places out of
the United Kingdom, exclusive of the Channel Islands,
2737 cargoes of animals, consisting of 370,934 cattle,
752,308 sheep, 16,494 swine. In 12 cargoes the in-
spectors detected disease among the animals on landing
in this country.