336 Report to the Annual General Meeting, 



32. The Board of Agriculture returns relating to anthrax for 

 the year may be regarded as favourable on the whole, as they 

 show a reduced number of outbreaks compared with recent years. 

 The figures, however, are not exactly comparable, as since the 

 beginning of the current year the returns include only outbreaks 

 in which the diagnosis has been verified by microscopic examina- 

 tion. The returns with regard to glanders are very satisfactory, 

 the reported outbreaks being nearly 50 per cent, less than those 

 of last year, during which there was also a marked decline as 

 compared with the preceding year. This very gratifying result 

 must be ascribed to the operation of the Glanders Order which 

 came into force on the 1st January, 1908, and which, for the 

 first time, gave local authorities the power to prevent the move- 

 ment of all suspected horses until they had been proved free from 

 glanders by the mallein test. Sheep scab has prevailed 

 to about the same extent as in recent years. Since the begin- 

 ning of the year there has been an alarming increase in the 

 number of outbreaks of swine fever, the reported outbreaks being 

 nearly twice as numerous as during the past year. Renewed 

 anxiety has been caused to stockowners during the year by the 

 occurrence of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in different 

 parts of the country. Since the 1st of January last there have 

 been no fewer than five independent outbreaks. These occurred 

 respectively in the counties of Surrey. Middlesex, Sussex, Derby, 

 and Somerset. These five outbreaks appeared to be all in- 

 dependent of one another, but in four instances the disease 

 extended to adjacent premises before it was finally stamped out. 

 Tt is fortunate that the very prompt and energetic action taken 

 by the Board of Agriculture speedily served to stamp out the 

 whole of these outbreaks. Although there is no room for doubt 

 that the outbreaks must have been caused by the introduction of 

 contagion from the continent of Europe, the exact means by 

 which this was effected has not been traced in any case. 



33. ^ It is satisfactory to learn that the President of the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries has appointed a Departmental Com- 

 mittee to enquire into the Question of foot-and-mouth disease 

 in this country, and thatthe Eight Hon. Sir Ailwyn Fellowes has 

 consented to act as Chairman of the Committee. 



34. The Council, at their last meeting, passed a resolu+inn 

 in the following terms, a copy of which has been forwarded to 

 the Board of Ascriculture : — 



That this Council reepectfullv press the Board of Agriculture to 

 bring into operation the Tuberculosis Order of Mav 27th, 1909. 

 the compensation to be provided either out of the Development 

 Fund or from other Imperial sources, and not from local rate*. 



35. Since the beginning of the year considerable progress has 

 been made with the experiments which are being carried out at 

 Woburn for the purpose of demonstrating that by means of 

 isolation it is possible to rear healthy stock from 'tuberculous 

 parents. Tt is hoped that the full complement of calves originally 

 contemplated will have been obtained within the next few 

 months. 



36. As the result of the examination at the Royal Veterinary 

 College for the Society's Medals for proficiency in Cattle Path- 

 ology, including the diseases of Cattle, Sheep and Pigs, the 



