PREVENTIVE MEDICINE 197 



restriction of movement of incontacts, isolation of diseased, and 

 disinfection of premises and materials. It enables the authorities 

 to ascertain the origin of the disease, and |to trace back other 

 animals that may be infected and be spreading the infection. In 

 the case of such a disease as anthrax, where there may be several 

 deaths in different localities, it may be possible to find circumstantial 

 evidence pointing to one particular consignment of food (such as 

 bean meal made from soil-dirtied China beans) being infected 

 with anthrax spores. Destruction or sterilisation of the food will 

 prevent any further outbreaks. 



It draws attention to the presence of disease, and enables 

 people to put in force prophylactic measures that may act as safe- 

 guards against the impending trouble. 



It is of great value in " inculcating watchfulness upon the 

 general practitioner, and suggesting the need for a definite diagnosis 

 in doubtful cases " (Lewis and Balfour). 



It gives information of the extent of any particular disease in 

 the country, or part of the country, so that the authorities concerned 

 with its control may know if the incidence is on the increase or 

 decrease, and consequently relax or make more stringent their 

 regulations. 



For the greatest advantage to be obtained from notification 

 it must be done at the earliest moment. Delay or hesitation is to 

 court disaster, as it gives time for the infective material to become 

 disseminated among the healthy animals. The slightest suspicion 

 that a notifiable disease exists should be sufficient incentive to 

 give notification of the fact to the proper authority. Some 

 diseases are not so easily diagnosed as might be thought from their 

 text-book descriptions, and at times appear in atypical forms. 

 Others again appear but rarely in this country, such as foot-and- 

 mouth disease and rabies, so that the general /public, and 

 even the veterinary practitioner, might not recognise the disease 

 from their imperfect knowledge of it. With any suspicion that a 

 notifiable disease is present, the onus of the responsibility of decid- 

 ing whether or not one has to deal with a scheduled and dangerous 

 malady should be put upon the experts whose business it is to make 

 the decision. If after notification has been made the suspicion 

 turns out to be unfounded, then no harm has been done, unless 

 undue alarm has been raised, but if there has been any delay in 

 reporting the suspected existence of such a disease as foot-and- 

 mouth disease and it is present, then the result may be very serious. 



Apart from the notification of scheduled diseases every stock- 

 owner in his own interests should consult a veterinary practitioner 



