103

A.—2

After the veterinary surgeon has made the requisite entries in the record-book stated in §1, which shall comprise the date of the investigation, owner's name and address, class of animal and brands, the supposed nature of the disease and the precautions demanded, it shall be read aloud for the owner or to those who have the supervision of the animal for the owner. By signing his'name in the recordbook the party concerned accepts the responsibility of complying with the instructions and demands given him, even if he should find occasion on account thereof to complain to the higher authorities. In the event of his refusal to sign the record-book, the veterinary surgeon shall apply to the inspector of the police in market towns (in Copenhagen to the director of the police) and in the country to the local sheriff, who shall then arrange the necessary preliminary precautions without delay. When precautions in accordance with the above have been made by the veterinary surgeon, he shall report the case as soon as possible to the inspector of the police, accompanied by recommendations as to the further precautions he might find necessary, which report, together with an account of what has to be done in accordance with same, is sent without delay to the Minister of Agriculture through the county Magistrate. Under specially threatening circumstances, especially in cases of cattle-plague, pleuro-pneumonia with cattle, foot-and-mouth disease, acute diphtheria with swine, and when the said disease has broken out in the particular district, the veterinary surgeon shall telegraph at once to the Minister of Agriculture direct, and as soon as possible inform the inspector of the police and the county Magistrate of what has been done. §5. When a veterinary surgeon in his report to the inspector of the police insists upon his assumption that the disease comes under those mentioned in §2, or that there are in any case predominant possibilities for same, the inspector of the police shall, by a decree entered in the police records, place the entire stock in question under public supervision—though with the exception of those animals which cannot be attacked by a disease of the nature concerned —as well at the stock or stocks, with the same exception for which there is a supposition that the contagion from the first-named could have been spread, unless he is so much in doubt as to the correctness of the veterinary's diagnosis that he prefers, on his own responsibility, to delay further precautions until a closer investigation has been made, which shall be at once taken in hand upon his recommendation ; in such case, however, the preliminary precautions arranged by the veterinary shall remain in force until a final decision of the question is given. In the event of several veterinary surgeons having had the investigation of an individual case, and difference of opinion has arisen between them as to the nature of same, the case shall be regarded temporarily as if a serious contagious disease was present. If the inspector of the police receives information of an actual or possible occurrence of one of the diseases mentioned in §2 at any place, by other means than through the report of a veterinary surgeon, he is bound without delay to have the case investigated by a veterinary, and to take the necessary precautions in accordance with same. In certain special cases, and especially when a disease is spread over several jurisdictions in the same county, the county Magistrate can, except when the Minister of Agriculture has sent a specialist, undertake the responsibility of the duties which otherwise according to the instructions in this and the following paragraphs would have rested upon the local inspector of the police. §6. When one or more stocks are so placed under public supervision, the inspector of the police can not only demand the institution of the further necessary precautions which are considered necessary for a stricter execution of the isolation and cleansing of the diseased animals, especially with respect to their being isolated at a suitable distance from other animals and under satisfactory conditions, their remaining in the stables, removal of their excrements, usage of own stable requisites, cleansing or destruction of those articles which could have been affected by their presence, engagement of special attendants, refusal of admittance of unauthorized persons, and the destruction of infection-bearing stuffs on those persons who have been in contact with them, together with the burying of the dead animals either entire or of those portions which could not be used without danger of spreading the disease, but he is also entitled to forbid that any of the animals belonging to the stock or stocks, even if the said animals are not suffering from the disease, are removed or come on other persons' ground or upon a public highway, although permission will be given as far as possible, and_under necessary control, to the owner to move his healthy animals to his own grounds in the neighbourhood. In the event of the disease being cattle-plague, serious pleuro-pneumonia with oxen, foot-and-mouth disease, swine-diphtheria or swine-fever, no animals which could be attacked by these diseases may be brought from other places into the stock in question; with swine-fever the Minister of Agriculture can forbid that the stock of swine are allowed-to breed. The inspector of the police may have those animals belonging to the stock marked with a suitable although not permanent brand, which may not be removed or made indistinct without his permission so long as these animals are under public supervision. Infringement of the above regulations will result in a fine or imprsionment, according to §16, as well as the loss of all right to public compensation, which in the event of the slaughtering of the animals would otherwise be granted the owner (§8). If the disease spreads over a large area, or takes a specially dangerous character, the County Council shall issue a notice, which shall be published in the more widely circulated local papers, containing the information that it is forbidden to hold markets or cattle shows in the district, the boundaries of which are given in the notice, until the withdrawal of same, or generally to gather larger herds of those animals which could be attacked by the disease in question. In the event of the disease being cattle-plague, foot-and-mouth disease, or acute swine-fever, this notice shall always be issued. With an outbreak of cattle-plague, the Minister of Agriculture can order the isolation of the district attacked in such manner that intercourse between the inhabitants of same and those outside the said area is prohibited, although only to such an extent as is found necessary to prevent a wider spreading of the disease. The local inspector of the police can, however, under special exceptional circumstances,