THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Government to my Report of its origin, progress, 

 treatment, symptoms, ^-c, transmitted on the 30th of 

 May last." 



These statements could not fail to add to the alarm 

 which was originaliy felt in this country ; and when it is 

 considered that for several months afterwards scarcely a 

 week elapsed without intelligence reaching us that " the 

 cattle murrain" was spreading, the surprise becomes 

 the greater rather than otherwise, that some measures 

 of a preventive nature were not earlier adopted by her 

 Majesty's Government. It is true that the reports from 

 other British consuls did not fully bear out Mr. Black- 

 well's statements, but still nothing satisfactory could be 

 learned of the true nature of the malady ; and up to the 

 time of the three National Agricultural Societies deter- 

 mining on sending a commission to investigate the sub- 

 ject, the English public were left in a state of uncer- 

 tainty and doubt. 



In October, 1856, we find that the restrictions 

 against the entrance of cattle into Liibeck from Meck- 

 lenburg were removed, as the disease appeared to have 

 ceased there; but they were again enforced in February 

 following, as the malady had reappeared, and on our 

 arrival they were still in full operation. 



l he regulations which had been enforced by the 

 Senate to guard against the introduction of contagious 

 diseases are as follows. They have been established for 

 several years, and are only modified from time to time, 

 according to the places in which such diseases are known 

 to prevail. 



" 1. Every owner of cattle is required, in case any disease 

 fihould break out among the same, which leaves no doubt of 

 its contagious nature, to separate the diseased from the other 

 cattle. 



" a. The special symptoms of lungenseuclie (pleuro-pneu- 

 mouia) are a husky cough, which is increased, particularly after 

 the cattle have been watered or moved about, less inclination 

 for food, indifference as to chewing the cud, dulness of the 

 hair, and its rough appearance in particular places, and fever 

 after these symptoms have continued for some time. 



" 2. On the appearance of this disease, or even in cases 

 when it is suspected to exist, the owners of cattle are required, 

 under a penalty of a fine of 20 dollars (about i3 10s.) to give 

 immediate notice to the chief of the police, or to the bailiff, at 

 Travemunde, who will take the necessary steps to arrest the 

 progress of the disease. 



" S. The bringiog in of cattle into the Liibeck territory 

 from the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Meck- 

 lenburg-Strelitz shall only be permitted when the cattle are 

 accompanied by satisfactory certificatea of their being free 

 from disease. 



" 4. All veterinary surgeons are directed, iu case this dis- 

 ease should break out within the Liibeck territory, to adopt 

 the necessary sanitary precautions according to the instructions 

 of the police. The directions of the veterinary surgeons are 

 implicitly to be obeyed under penalty of heavy fines and im- 

 prisonment. 



" 5, Finally, all police-officers, bailifi's, and gens-d'armes 

 are hereby directed to give notice to the respective police- 

 offices in case any horned cattle should be attacked with the 

 pulmonary disease, or even in cases where it is suspected to 

 exist. 



" Given at Liibeck in the Assembly of the Senate, this 14th 

 day of May, 1856. (Signed) 



" C. Tn. OvERBECK, Dr., Secretary." 



Besides these measures of precaution, special instruc- 

 tions are issued for the guidance of veterinary surgeons 

 when the disease has entered the territory. These are — 



"1. That, on the appearance of pleuro-pneumonia, im- 

 mediate notice should be given to the police authorities. 



" 2. That the affected cattle are to be forthwith sepa- 

 rated from the healthy, and removed to a distance. If 

 they are put to grass, the meadows must be divided by 

 good fences, and must be at the least five hundred paces 

 distant from any in which otlier cattle are kept. 



"3. That the persons who tend cattle are to be directed 

 to note carefully the feeding and ruminating of the ani- 



mals, and, on the slightest indication of disturbed health, 

 to have them professionally examined. 



" 4. That an inspector, duly conversant with disease, 

 is to be specially appointed to attend the sick cattle ; and 

 that without his permi.ssion no animal is to be retm-ned to 

 those which are healthy. 



" 5. That all animals which die are to be buried five feet 

 deep, and covered over, with compact earth ; that the 

 burial-places are to be not less distant than eight hundred 

 paces from any road or paths travelled by cattle, and that 

 thev are afterwards to be surrounded bj' a strong fence or a 

 ditch. 



" 6. That the diseased cattle are only to be driven in 

 particular roads ; that the stables in which they were 

 placed when attacked are to be carefully cleaned, and the 

 maiuire to be covered over with earth. 



" 7. That none but medical officers are to make yost- 

 mortem examinam.ns, and these only by permission of the 

 police authorities ; and that no part of the carcase is to be 

 taken away or used, with the exception of the skin. 



" 8. That for the removal of the dead animals special 

 vehicles are to be provided; and these are to be kept in 

 proper places, and not used for any other purpose. Persons 

 attending upon the sick cattle, or coming in contact with 

 them or with the dcad» are not to go near healthy animals, 

 and are to take care that all tools or utensils they rnay 

 have used are properly cleaned, 



" 9. That no manure or fodder is to be sold from off all 

 infected farm. 



"10. That no animal, however slightly affected, is to be 

 killed for food. Great vigilance must be used in respect to 

 this order. 



" 11. That, after the disappearance of the disease from a 

 commune or farm for a period of eight weeks, it is to be 

 considered as being free from the malady ; but that for 

 four weeks longer the proprietor is not to sell any cattle or 

 other forbidden things from off the place." 



It does not appear thatany law is in operation to prevent 

 the importation into the territory from Russia or other 

 countries, of skins, horns, hoofs, or tallow ; but We were in- 

 formed by M. ToUhausen, the French Consul, and who was 

 acting also pro tern, as British Vice-Consul, that the 

 official returns show that from 6,000 to 8,000 only of 

 dry hides annually enter the port of Liibeck from 

 Russia, for transit inland; while from Mecklenburg and 

 the surrounding countries 80,000 skins are received. 

 These are mostly either salted or fresh, and as such are 

 too heavy for transit to a distance, besides being other- 

 wise unfitted for such a purpose : they are, therefore, 

 further prepared and dried in Liibeck, and then sent 

 onwards to Belgium, Rhenish Prussia, &c., and up the 

 Rhine even as far as Switzerland. 



No exports of cattle take place from Liibeck by 

 means of the shipping, nor are any imported in this 

 manner from the Baltic or elsewhere, the supply which 

 is needed being sent over the frontier from the sur- 

 rounding duchies. Besides this, we could not ascertain 

 that any cattle have ever been shipped for England from 

 any of the Baltic ports. The difficulties attending such 

 a voyage, and the time it would occupy, are sufficient 

 barriers against a trade of this description being carried 

 on, even if no facilities existed for the transit of cattle 

 inland. 



Young stock, however, to the amount, it is said, of 

 50,000 a year, pass through the territory of Liibeck, 

 from Holstein into Mecklenburg, for the supply of the 

 dairies and farms. 



These facts cannot fail to be of importance for legis- 

 lation, if hereafter it should unfortunately be the case 

 that the rinderpest should extend thus far westward, and 

 in a direction from which foreign cattle are shipped for 

 England. 



Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg- 

 Strelitz, 

 It was from these Duchies that some of the earliest 

 accounts reached England respecting " the murrain," 



