Report on Steppe Murrain or Rinderpest. ' 205 



step. The Society ventures to recommend that Professor Simonds, of the 

 Eoyal Veterinary College, be commissioned to this task. That he l^e em- 

 powered to take with him a German veterinary surgeon, established in London, 

 quite competent for the business, and who would smooth the difficulties of 

 the German language. It is supposed that about three weeks would be 

 required for a satisfactory examination. That the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society of Scotland be informed that the Royal Agricultural Improvement 

 Society of Ireland propose to share the expense of this mission with the Eoyal 

 •Agricultural Society of England ; and that they be asked to join in the same 

 manner." 



The National Societies of Scotland and Ireland readily con- 

 sented to the proposition contained in this resolution ; and on the 

 Government being informed of the step about to be taken, Lord 

 Clai'endon kindly forwarded a letter of introduction to the British 

 Consuls to the Secretary of the Society, accompanied by the 

 following communication : — ^ 



" Foreign Office, April 4, 1857. 



" Sir, — I am directed by the Earl of Clarendon to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your letter of the 2nd instant, acquainting his Lordship with the intention 

 of the Council of the Eoyal Agricultural Society of England, in conjunction 

 with the Societies of Scotland and Ireland, to send Professor Simonds to those 

 districts abroad where the disease among cattle is at present raging ; and I am 

 to enclose a letter which has been addressed, by Lord Clarendon's direction, to 

 the British consular agents in Northern and Central Europe, instructing them 

 to afford to Professor Simonds all the assistance in their power in carrying out 

 the objects of his mission. " I am, Sir, 



*' Your most obedient, humble Servant, 



" James Hudson, Esq." " E. Hammond. 



The first step, according to my instructions, being to secure the 

 services of a veterinary surgeon familiar with the German lan- 

 guage, I at once called on Mr, Wm. Ernes, M.R.C.V.S., a 

 gentleman eminently fitted for the task ; and who, besides being 

 a native of Belgium, had had the great advantage of travelling 

 almost throughout Europe, thus becoming practically acquainted 

 with most of the foreign languages. Mr. Ernes had also received 

 an English medical education, and bis tagtes were in full accord- 

 ance with the objects of the mission. Having secured his co- 

 operation, we left London for Belgium on the morning of 

 April 9th, and arrived the same evening at Ghent. We deemed 

 it expedient to ascertain, with as little delay as possible, the 

 health of the cattle in those countries whence we were receiving 

 our daily supplies, and also the details of the system which 

 prevailed with regard to the cattle-trade, together with the par- 

 ticulars relating to the shipment of animals to England. This 

 part of our mission was the more pressing as the recent Order 

 in Council prohibiting the importation into the United Kingdom of 

 " cattle or of horns, hoofs, or hides, from those territories of Russia^ 

 Prussia, or Mecklenburgh-Schwerin, which lie in the Gulf oif 



