-t$S Report of the Animals Division. [June, 



would, like many other contagious diseases which were once 

 prevalent, become unknown, unless it were to be reintroduced 

 from abroad. But even admitting that the disease might be 

 reintroduced, it could be kept within very small limits by a 

 frequent and general inspection of studs by the Veterinary 

 Inspectors of the Local Authorities and the application of 

 the mallein test to all suspected studs. 



The Report of the Assistant Secretary deals more particularly 

 with the steps taken during the year for carrying out the 

 provisions of the Diseases of Animals Acts, and attention is 

 • drawn to the fact that, so far as regards the diseases, the 

 administration of which is more directly undertaken by the 

 Central Authority, the position at the close of 1903 was unpre- 

 cedented. No case of cattle plague, pleuropneumonia, sheep 

 pox, foot-and-mouth disease, or of rabies was recorded during 

 the year, whilst the outbreaks of swine fever were materially 

 reduced, and stood at a figure lower than that of any previous 

 year. 



. The same could not, unfortunately, be said of the diseases 

 which have hitherto been dealt with by Local Authorities with 

 little or no direct intervention on the part of the Central 

 Authority. The returns of outbreaks of sheep scab show an 

 increase as compared with 1902 of 169 cases; of anthrax, an 

 increase of 88 cases ; and of glanders, an increase of 301 cases. 



The conclusion drawn from these facts is that a more effective 

 control of contagious diseases in animals is secured by Central 

 than by Local Administration, and that direct supervision on 

 the part of the Central Authority is a necessary supplement to 

 the action of the Local Authority. This is the more clearly 

 demonstrated where the Local Authority concerned is that 

 of an urban district. The actjon of such an Authority is almost 

 of necessity limited in its scope, and even where there is a 

 desire to do so the means are often lacking for following the 

 disease to its source in the district of another Local Authority 

 Attention is concentrated upon the outbreak as it affects the 

 interests of the particular town, and then the matter is apt to 

 be dropped. The attention of the Central Authority, on the 

 other hand, is primarily directed to the discovery of the source 

 of the disease in whatever district it may have originated, 



