808 Diseases in Animals during 1919. * [Dec, 



suspected outbreaks of Anthrax^ of which 239 were confirmed 

 by tests for diagnosis at the Laboratory — 180 in England and 

 59 in Scotland. These outbreaks occurred on 221 premises. 

 No outbreak has been recorded in Wales during three 

 successive years. 



The number and species of animals affected were: cattle 275; 

 horses 8; sheep 1; pigs 38; total 322, or 1.03 animals per out- 

 break. One dog and 7 ferrets also became affected. 



The disease occurred twice on 9 premises, three times on 

 2 premises and six times on 1 premises. In other words, in 18 

 outbreaks on 12 premises disease may have arisen from a 

 previous case in the same year. In all, 60 outbreaks (25 per 

 cent.) occurred on premises on which Anthrax was known to 

 have occurred in previous years. 



The report mentions that it is rather remarkable that the 

 outbreaks in England, which fell steadily during the War 

 from 294 in 1915 to 153 in 1918, increased by 27 in 1919. 

 This is probably due to the revival of trade in imported hides 

 and feeding stuffs, the former being largely responsible for the 

 contamination of the latter with anthrax spores in transit. 

 On the other hand, the decline in Scotland has continued from 

 262 in 19i5 to 93 in 1918, with a further decUne of 34 in 1919. 



The number of outbreaks of Sheep Scab in Great Britain 

 during the year was 442. This number includes the affected 

 sheep isolated on the premises of 145 crofters in the County 

 of Inverness. These cases were amalgamated in outbreaks 

 included in the returns for that county on account of the sheep 

 using common grazing grounds. 



The 442 outbreaks were distributed as follows: — England 

 245; Wales 70; and Scotland 127. The outbreaks occurred in 

 35 counties in England, 9 in Yv^ales and 20 in Scotland. 



As regards the English counties, 39 outbreaks occurred in 

 Kent, which had been free from Sheep Scab for a considerable 

 number of years, and 23 o(*curred in Sussex, an increase of 22 

 over the previous year.^ 



The Chief Veterinary Officer of the Ministry states in the 

 Report that the time has more than arrived when it shouM 

 be made clear to sheep farmers that the statutory general 

 dipping of sheep, which is a single dipping, is not a help but 

 a serious hindrance to the eradication of scab. No policy of 

 dipping aimed against scab can be expected to be successful 

 as regards its specific object unless it comprises two dippings 

 with an interval of not more than 14 days, preferably 10 days, 



