51

A.—2

commenced. Amongst the officers directed to proceed to the locality when the existence of disease is confirmed are a number of veterinary Inspectors, and they, on arrival, proceed to make an examination of all animals in the area subject to the provisions of the prohibition order. Modifications of the order commence a few days after its issue, and should no further outbreaks occur in the area further modifications from time to time take place, the size of the area being reduced until from about five to eight weeks from the date of the outbreak all restrictions are removed. It may be pointed out that the departmental committee appointed to inquire into foot-and-mouth disease in the report issued by them in May, 1912, state, " The committee would also like to place on record their approval of the procedure adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries in dealing with outbreaks of the disease, and consider that the freedom of this country in recent years from widespread epidemics is due to the regulations so admirably carried out by the officers of the Board and those of the local authorities." Comparison with other Countries. It is interesting to compare the results of this procedure with the recent history of foot-and-mouth disease in some other countries. In Great Britain, in 1910, there were only two outbreaks, both occurring in the same county. In 1911 there were nineteen outbreaks that may be taken as forming five groups, and in 1912 there were, as stated, eighty-three outbreaks that can be divided into nine groups. —a group being taken as a series of outbreaks that are connected. In Germany, on the 15th February, 1910, there were five infected places, on the 30th April the same year there was only one, on the 30th May the number of infected places had risen to seventeen, on the 30th June to 124, and steadily increased until on the 31st December there were 4,882 ; the number further increased to 38,250 on the 31st August, 1911. The number then commenced to diminish, and according to the return for the period lst-15th June this year the number of infected places was seventy-five. France returned no outbreaks during the year 1910 and the months of June and February, 1911 ; but the return for March of the latter year gave 222 outbreaks in fifty-five communes ; the number increased each month until in August the return gave 33,960 outbreaks in 3,217 communes. The number then began to diminish, and according to the return for the week 13tn-19th April this year there were 274 outbreaks. Disease then became more prevalent, there being 1,130 outbreaks during the week Bth-15th June. Holland had one outbreak in each month, February, March, April, and May, 1910, but no further outbreaks till February, 1911, in which month forty-four occurred. The number rapidly increased, and reached 18,214 during June, was 12,358 in July, 15,503 in August, and 13,477 in September. In October the number fell to 4,391, and rapidly decreased to 302 in December. In January, 1912, there were only seventy-five outbreaks ; and with the exception of February, when there were ninety outbreaks, there was a gradual decrease to one in September and nil in October ; but five outbreaks occurred in November, six in December, sixteen in January, thirteen in February, eleven in March, six in April, and three in May. Belgium was free from foot-and-mouth during the period January-July, 1910. One outbreak occurred in August, one in November, and three in December. There was no case in January, 1911, but in February eight outbreaks occurred. The number then rapidly increased, there being 4,589 outbreaks in June, 9,322 in July, 7,922 in August, 4,246 in September. The number continued to fall, there being only 582 outbreaks in December. January, 1912, commenced with 136 outbreaks, the number decreasing till there was only one in October. There was no case in November, but six outbreaks occurred in December. There was no case in January this year, and only one in February ; but there were fifty in March, twenty-two in April, and fifty-six in May. Denmark. —During the period January-October, 1910, there was no case of foot-and-mouth. One outbreak took place in November, and three in December. There was then two months freedom from disease, followed by four outbreaks in March, 1911. During the next six months there were only seven outbreaks, but in October there were forty-five outbreaks. In November there were 154 premises " under supervision," 278 in December, 251 in January, 1912, 243 in February, and 132 in March. The majority of the premises were freed during each month, so the number of outbreaks would be a large proportion of the aggregate of 1,058. The number of cases decreased, none occurring during the period August-November, one occurring in December, and none in February and March this year, one in April, and one in May. Argentina was declared officially free from foot-and-mouth disease by the Government in August, 1909, the last outbreak having occurred in January of that year ; but on the Ist June, 1910, a despatch was received from the British Minister at Buenos Aires stating that foot-and-mouth disease existed in four provinces or territories, and latest reports indicate that disease is still very prevalent in the country, and has appeared in Chubut, which is considerably south of the district previously aSected. As far as can be ascertained, there is no European country in which it has been found possible to adopt a policy similar to that of Great Britain as regards slaughter in foot-and-mouth disease, and to maintain it throughout a serious epidemic. To this may be due the comparative want of success in controlling the disease when introduced, indicated by the figures given above. The difficulties incidental to the guarding of a land frontier against a highly infectious disease must not, however, be overlooked. Protection against Introduction of Disease from Abroad. The Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, as amended by the Act of 1896, allows foreign animals to be landed only at foreign-animals wharves, to be there slaughtered within ten days, except animals from