Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 91 



involved, but the most extensive and annoying vesication was 

 between the under lip and the gums. In two of the six it 

 extended over the muzzle to the nostrils . . . and peculiar 

 symptoms accompanied this — a continual catching up and 

 shaking of one or other of the hind legs." These symptoms 

 were at first attributed to some poisonous herbage ; but that 

 the disease was epizootic was soon made manifest, for in the 

 course of about ten days more than 500 of the cows had been 

 attacked. 



Succeeding numbers of the Veterinarian contain other 

 reports regarding the " epidemic," the contagious character of 

 which was recognised, although the possibility of its originating 

 under " atmospheric agency " was entertained by many 

 veterinary sui-geons. Indeed, as late as 1857, Professor 

 Simonds denied that foot-and-mouth disease was imported ; 

 and for many years afterwards this opinion was used to 

 combat the efforts of those who held that the disease never 

 originated spontaneously and ought to be opposed by measures 

 calculated to stamp it out. 



From the period of its introduction till 1866 foot-and- 

 mouth disease was never absent from Great Britain ; but by 

 the end of the latter year, apparently owing to the operation 

 of the measures directed against cattle plague, this country was 

 nearly free from the disease. The next few years, however, 

 saw an alarming recrudescence of the plague ; and in 1870 

 and 1871 over a million animals were reported to have been 

 attacked by it. The Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act came 

 into force in 1878, and the repressive measures which it 

 introduced had almost eradicated foot-and-mouth disease by 

 the end of the following year. Unfortvmately, during 1880 it 

 again began to spread, and in 1883 it affected nearly half a 

 million animals. After that date it gradually declined, until 

 in 1886 only one outbreak was reported. For the following 

 six years the British Islands were free from foot-and-mouth 

 disease ; but in February, 1892, the disease was discovered 

 among some Danish oxen in the Metropolitan Cattle Market. 

 Notwithstanding the utmost vigilance of the Board of Agri- 

 culture, this proved the starting point of an epizootic during 

 which, in England and Scotland, 5,267 animals were attacked. 

 Rigorous isolation, supplemented in some cases by slaughter 

 of the affected animals and of those that had been exposed to 

 the contagion, had the effect of exterminating the disease by 

 June, 1892. 



Since 1892 the importation of live cattle from countries 

 in which foot-and-mouth disease exists has been prohibited, 

 but nevertheless since that date the country has frequently 

 been invaded by the disease. On January 1, 1893, it 



