igo6.] Report of the Animals' Division. 



247 



For the third year in succession Great Britain has been free 

 both from foot-and mouth disease and from rabies. These 

 diseases consequently disappear from the Summary of Returns 

 of Contagious Diseases in Animals published weekly in the 

 London Gazette, \w which the figures for the current period as 

 regards diseases in animals are compared with those of the 

 corresponding period in each of the three preceding years. At 

 the commencement of the present year, therefore, the Returns 

 were confined to four diseases only, namely, anthrax, glanders 

 (including farcy), sheep-scab, and swine-fever, the figures for 

 the year and the comparative figures for the three preceding 

 years being as follows :— 





Anthrax. 



Glanders (includ- 

 ing farcy). 



Sheep- 

 scab. 



Swine-fever. 



Period. 



Out- 

 breaks. 



Animals 

 attacked. 



Out- 

 breaks. 



Animals 

 attacked. 



Out- 

 breaks 



re- 

 ported. 



Out- 

 breaks. 



Swine 

 slaughtered 

 as diseased 

 or ex- 

 posed to 

 infection. 



1905 ... 

 1904 ... 

 1903 ... 

 1902 ... 



970 

 1,049 

 767 

 678 



1,589 



1. 143 

 1,032 



1,214 



1,456 

 1,155 



2,068 

 2,658 



2,499 

 2,040 



918 , 

 1,418 

 l>792 

 1,632 



S17 

 1,196 

 1,478 

 1,688 



3,876 

 5,603 

 7>933 

 8,263 



A decrease in the number of outbreaks as compared with the 

 year 1904 has, it will be noticed, taken place in respect of each 

 one of the diseases, the outbreaks being fewer in the case of 

 anthrax by 79, of glanders by 315, of sheep-scab by 500, and 

 of swine-fever by 379. 



Although the difficult task of reducing the prevalence ot 

 swine-fever has progressed steadily, as compared with former 

 years, it is noticeable that the improvement in 1905 was almost 

 entirely confined to the first half of the year, during which the 

 outbreaks numbered 422, as compared with 798 in the first half 

 of 1904. 



Mr. Anstruther in his report describes the various adminis - 

 trative measures which have been taken by the Board with a 

 view to eradicating diseases, including the regulation of the 



