The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-18 00:00:00

Cattle Disease.

On Saturday afternoon the Sanitarium Committee of the
Metropolitan Cattle Plague Committee held a meeting at
the Mansion-house.
Mr. Gibbins, the chairman of the Corporation Markets
Committee, was present, as were also Dr. Letheby, Medical
Officer of Health for the city ; Dr. Allis, Dr. Tripe, Dr
Ansel', and Mr. Burge, all of whom are medical officers of
health for metropolitan districts, and several members of
the Court of Common Council.
At present the Home-office and the committee appear to
be at variance with respect to the establishment of sanita-
riums. A fund is being raised by the committee for the
express purpose of founding such places, which fund al-
ready amounts to about £1,500, and for the purpose of
compensating owners of cattle for losses by the disease un-
der certain conditions. The committee had also taken
large buildings for the purpose in tho northern, eastern,
and the north-western parts of London, and are about to
engage one for the southern part of the metropolis. In the
meantime Sir G. Grey has forwarded than a report by Pro-
fessor Symonds, at the head of the Government Veterinary
Department, to the effect that in his opinion the establish-
ment of sanitariums on a scale contemplated by the Metro-
politan Committee is wholly impracticable, that they woild
be a great evil, as tending to perpetuate the contagion, and
that nothing can be more fallacious than the supposition
that the plague is a curable disease. As, however, men of
as great repute in veterinary science and experience as Pro-
fessor Symonds are directly at variance with him on these
matters, the Metropolitan Committee are making the neces-
sary preparations for establishing sanitariums,with a skilled
veterinary superintendent for each, to act in concert with
the district medical officers of health, and with ambulance
vans to convey the animals that may be affected to these
temporary hospitals. The first object sought to be attained
by the committee is the separation of the diseased animals,
in order to save those, if possible, as yet unaffected by the
epidemic ; and the next to try remedial measures,with a view
to a cure, under proper veterinary supervision—excluding,
however, the use of all mere nostrums or secret remedies.
In addition to the implied discouragement of the Govern-
ment a new difficulty had arls4iTh—liiiiiiVeirli; proceedings
of the committee. The inhabitants of tho district in which
it is proposed to set sanitariums on foot are taking alarm,
and protesting. At the meeting on Saturday Dr. Allis, the
medical officer of health for St. George's, Hanover .square,
presented a memorial from 42 of tho principal inhabitants
of Kinnerton-street (where it is proposed to establish a tem-
porary sanitarium), and from Wilton-crescent, one of the
memorialists being Mr. Norton, the Lambeth magistrate,
stating grounds for foregoing such an intention in a part of
the town already crowded with mews and stables, and where
there were already two slaughterhouses and a dissecting-
room. Dr. Aldis said he did not object to sanitariums on
principle, and he WAS of opinion that if the symptoms of the
disease could be early watched and treated by competent
persons, much good would result, but the misfortune was
that the symptoms were not sufficiently early detected. He
knew instances where diseased animals had recovered
under proper supervision, but he thought it would be ob-
jectionable to establish sanitariums anywhere in London,
for the excreta of diseased animals was something fearful.
When the disease had reached its second or third stage it
would, in his opinion, be more merciful to slaughter them
than to try to cure them. In some places people were
actually bleeding animals affected with the disease, and
compelling them to drink their own blood, mixed with
salts—a barbarous thing. That was really being done,
and he thought it ought to be made public, to put people
on their guard against the use of barbarous and secre
remedies.

A communication, dated the 13th inst., was read from
Professor Dick, of the Veterinary College, Edinburgh, in
reply to a letter addressed to him by the committee. He
stated that they had been very unsuccessful in their sanita-
riums for cattle there; 36 had died, and only one was likely
to recover, but in the various byres (sheds) in different parts
of the city 22 were recovering. Much depended, he said, on
taking a case as soon as the symptoms made their appear-
ance, and giving a quart bottle of linseed oil, with half a
bottle of whisky, or from a half to a pound of salts, and
repeating the dose next day, if the medicine had not ope-
rated, and afterwards giving sulphate of iron (half an
ounce) night and morning. It was owing, he said, to the
time lost in getting the cows to the sanitarium and in their
getting the medicine that they had been so unsuccessful.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the Metropolitan Com-
mittee had entered on this matter with the view to stop
the plague if possible, and they offered compensation to
those whose cattle might be affected for the loss of the
cattle provided that at the very earliest stage of the disease
they gave information to the committee, so that the in-
fected animals might bo forthwith removed to the sanita-
riums,
science.
power to check the While, how-
ever, they the
presentba
Hums, where they would be treated in a manner compatible
with
gvean nteriinart
disease, and the Corporation had generously headed a
been state
o f
n
subscription with £l,OOO, for some reason or other which
they could not understand they were thwarted by the Go-
vernment.

Mr. RUDKIN complained that the orders in Council had
been framed in so bungling a manner that it was impossible
to get a conviction under them before a police magistrate,
though the case was never so clear. The Government in-
spectors were veterinary surgeons, and the owners of the
sheds over which they had control were their clients.
That being so,
that they the inspectors naturally said to their clients
would do all they could to get them out of the
difficulty, and the result was that infected animals were
smuggled away for sale with the connivance of the Go-
vernment inspectors themselves. At present, therefore,
the orders in Council were mere waste paper.
Mr. BREWSTER said that Professor Symonds laughed at
the idea of sending diseased cattle to sanitariums. If the
committee established a sanitarium no diseased animal could
be removed to it without the consent of a Government in-
spector, and if he refused his sanction,!as he probably would
do, there would be an end of the matter, and all care and
labour would be wasted. He suggested that the committee
should not move further in the matter until they had the
direct countenance of the Government.
Mr. BURGE, medical officer of health for the Hammer-
smith district, believing in the curability of the disease,
urged the meeting to press the Government for the loan of
wooden huts in which to treat animals affected with the
disease in open spaces around London.
Eventually, on the motion of Mr. RUDEIN, it was resolved
that the committee seek an interview with the Lords of
the Privy Council on Monday, with the view to press the
Government for an answer to be allowed to establish sani-
tariums in the metropolitan districts.
A number of subscriptions to the compensation fund
were announced, including ono from the Salters' Company
of £5O ; a collection in Newgate Market by Mr. Rudkin
amounting to £BO odd ; Messrs. Barnetts, Hoare, and Co.,
£2O ; Mr. Brewster, .£2l; and Mr. G. Guerrier, £lO 10s.

The meeting then separated.
On Saturday evening a meeting of cow-keepers, dealers,
dairymen, and others interested in the cattle plague,was held
at the Duke's Head Tavern, Whitechapel-road, to receive
the report of a committee, and to consider the most advis-
able course to aclopt for the alleviation of the suffering oc-
casioned by the plague in the Tower Hamlets districts.