Tlic Coniitrv Gcnthuian's Magazine 



542 



markets are held, there should be provided sepa- 

 rate markets for store cattle, for dairy cows, and for/// 

 cattle, so that these classes should not come in contact 

 with each other." 



On this point, also, there was no difference 

 of opinion in the Chamber. In fact, the 

 mischief done by the intermixture of the dif- 

 ferent classes of stock in our public markets, 

 especially those held in or near large towns, 

 is so well known that many persons dread 

 purchasing cattle which have been offered for 

 sale in those markets, if the object is to take 

 such stock home and place them among those 

 already in the pastures or homesteads. In 

 Professor Ferguson's replies to the queries 

 issued by the Directors, he states that " con- 

 tagious and infectious pleuro-pneumonia" is 

 " frequently a result of collecting large num- 

 bers of animals from different places in one 

 locality for market or transport, either by sea 

 or land, or for commissariat purposes. In 

 Ireland, until within the present year, the 

 public live-stock fairs and markets, as well as 

 the travelling of sound with infected animals 

 by rail or road, or in vessels, and the halting 

 of them in the same resting-places, have 

 been fertile sources of the malady's extension." 

 Referring to the Dublin Smithfield Market, 

 which, previous to the establishment of the 

 new catde market in that city, was the principal 

 central depot in the province of Leinster, 

 and the source from whence the infection of 

 catde disease was ' disseminated both in 

 Dublin and its neighbourhood, and also to all 

 parts of Great Britain, he says : — " Many 

 instances have occurred in the county of 

 Dublin of the disease having been brought 

 to lands and premises, which previously had 

 been always free from it, by an unsold cow 

 returning to them from the public market to 

 which she had been sent for sale, and in 

 which she had remained for a day. In such 

 cases the animal which had been in the pub- 

 lic market was almost invariably the first of 

 the stock to evince symptoms of the disease." 

 Professor Ferguson's experience will be fully 

 corroborated not alone by veterinary surgeons, 

 but also by agriculturists in all parts of the 

 country ; at least, where they have had the 

 experience of cattle purchased for store or 



dairy purposes in a market held in or near a 

 large town. The beneficial results as regards 

 the sanitary condition of live stock, arising 

 from the separation of the classes recom- 

 mended by the Chamber, was shewn some 

 time ago by Professor M'Call, as having been 

 proved in the case of the Glasgow market, 

 where a temporary separation of the dairj- 

 cows from the other classes exposed for sale 

 was made; the dairy cows, while that 

 arrangement lasted, being much freer from 

 disease than they were when all classes were 

 mixed up together. 



The risk of infection, arising from dif- 

 ferent classes of stock being allowed to 

 mix together in public markets, &c., and 

 we may add fi-om the entire absence of 

 authorized supervision of markets, is 

 further shewn by Professor Ferguson. In 

 1866, that gentleman instituted an official 

 inquiry on the subject of pleuro-pneu- 

 monia in connexion with the dairy estab- 

 lishments Avithin the Dtiblin metropoli- 

 tan police district. The inquiry was sanc- 

 tioned by the then Lord-Lieutenant of Ire- 

 land, now Lord Kimberley, and the commis- 

 sioners of the Dublin metropolitan poHce 

 aftbrded every assistance to Professor Fergu- 

 son in carrying out his inquiry. It was found 

 that 485 dairy establishments existed in the 

 district, having a stock, in April 1866, of 

 7306 COW.S. "The number of deaths which 

 had occurred during the twelve months pre- 

 vious to the middle of April was 151, but the 

 number returned as having been sold within 

 the same period of time, in consequence of 

 Itaving become affected with lung distemper, 

 amounted to 2460, all of which were travelled 

 or moved alive from the premises or lands 

 on which they became affected, either to 

 slaughter-houses or to the pubiic market;'' 

 and, as Professor Ferguson judiciously remarks, 

 that so " long as such a procedure, as moving 

 such diseased animals on so extensive a scale 

 through a seaport town from which store 

 stock are exported to Great Britain is per- 

 mitted, so long will it be impossible to prevent 

 the cattle intended for exportation frequently 

 becoming infected before their embarkation 

 for England and Scotland." An Order in 



