BRONCHO-JPNEUMONIA 253 



readily determined by the aid of the microscope, but there 

 is a plainly visible characteristic difference in the post-mortem 

 appearances in the two diseases, which in ordinary circum- 

 stances is sufficient to guide the observant practitioner. 



A " Provisional Order in Council " was passed with the 

 aid of Herbert Gardener (Lord Burghclere), in 1892, restrict- 

 ing the introduction of store cattle from Canada, which had 

 been coming in increasing numbers since 1874. Walter 

 Long, a succeeding President of the Board of Agriculture, 

 carried through Parliament the " Diseases of Animals Act " 

 of 1896, which prohibits the importation of live cattle from 

 abroad, except for immediate slaughter. It is well known 

 that the measure was passed mainly as a result of a mistaken 

 diagnosis of cornstalk disease for pleuro-pneumonia, yet its 

 importance to the great majority of people interested is so 

 great that the House of Commons was fully justified in talking 

 out a bill for its repeal introduced in 1906. 



The loss to the country was so enormous from the out- 

 break of rinderpest in 1 864, and from the more recent outbreaks 

 of foot-and-mouth disease (notably that of 1883) which 

 with pleuro-pneumonia form the three important scheduled 

 diseases that to run any avoidable risk of reimporting 

 disease is far too dangerous to be lightly incurred. Although 

 Canadian cattle may be free from all of the three chief 

 dangers, there is imminent risk of disease being carried from 

 the United States over an open unprotected boundary line 

 of about 3000 miles long. There are other important, 

 although subordinate, reasons why the restriction on the 

 trade in foreign store cattle should be maintained. The 

 demands of the consumer of foreign meat are best supplied 

 on the scores of quality, humanity to the animals, and con- 

 venience by the dead-meat trade, to which there is no limit. 

 If the existing embargo were removed, this country would be 

 flooded to overflowing with rough, big-boned cattle from the 

 Western Prairies, which would cost the grazier a small price 

 per live cwt, but could not be ready for the butcher till at 

 least a year older than the butchers' cattle bred at home. 

 The home rearing of good cattle for feeding purposes would 

 be checked, and much land unfit for fattening but well 

 adapted for the breeding and grazing of young stock, especially 

 in Ireland, the North of Scotland, and Wales, would become 



