Foot and Mouth Disease.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 13 February 1892, Page 2

Foot and Mouth Disease.

* Great Britain for more than one hundred years past has been attacked with cattle plagues, and very earnest efforts have been made to stamp the disease out. In the years 1745 56 a severe cattle plague raged both in England and the west of Europe, in which about 3 million of beasts perished. In 1746 the Privy Council ordered diseased beasts to be shot and their skins destroyed ; granting the owners a moderate compensation. In 1857 there was great disease among foreign cattle, but they were excluded from England by prohibitions being gazetted to their importation. In spite of these precautions in 1865 the cattle plague broke out in a dairy in London, and rapidly spread so that within four months over 27.000 beasts had been attacked, over 12,000 of which died and close on 9000 were slaughtered. A royal commission to inquire into the causes of the cattle plague and to suggest remedies was then appointed and met first in October. The report of the majority considered the disease to have been imported, and recommended the slaughter of all animals coming by se.a, and also stringent prohibition of passage of cattle across public roads. Ordei sin council were gazetted in January 1886. The disease still raged and "The Cattle Diseases Act " was passed in February. In June 1866 the Privy Council published a return which showed that 248,965 cattle were attacked, 80,597 were killed, and 124,187 died, and 14,162 recovered, leaving 16,086 unaccounted for. In October of the same year it was believed that the disease had been " stamped out." An order in council was made directing the landing of foreign cattle at certain ports. In December the disease broke out afresh in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire and afterwards reappeared in various places. In August 1867 no case was reported to the Privy Council. In August 1869, December 1870, and June 1871 the " foot and mouth " disease was declared prevalent in England, and was reported every year till 18R6

when it was stated to be " stamped out " The disease had been very < bad upon the continent and orders in Council were from time to time made with a view to prevent its im portation. The animals that were attacked at Islington market with the " foot and mouth " disease are reported to have been an importation from Denmark, and its reappearance must be an unpleasant shock to the English grazier. The latest news states that isolated cases of this disease still exist in the outskirts of London.