208 



"Struck"' in Sheep. 



[JUNE, 



" But if they are to remain in the country it can only be by the aid and the 

 resources of the Government at home, in view of the competition for their possession 

 by various Governments abroad, and we think that- arrangements for their purchase 

 and care should be made with the assistance of the Government, and that these 

 arrangements should be under the control of some central authority, either the Royal 

 Commission or some other body appointed by the Government for that purpose. 



"In order to re-stock the country with suitable registered mares, we 

 recommend the adoption of the system initiated by the Brood Mare Society 

 which is described in their Report, and that the machinery of that Society be made 

 available by constituting it the agent of the Royal Commission.'' (The rules proposed 

 by the Society for the purchase, custody, and distribution of mares and their stock, 

 if appointed agents, are attached to the Report.) 



The Commissioners think that these conclusions should be 

 most carefully considered in connection with any scheme 

 which may be formulated for the purpose of improving the 

 breed of horses in the United Kingdom. 



In connection with the losses which have arisen from the 

 disease known as " struck " in sheep in the Romney Marsh 



district, the Board wish to draw attention 

 " Struck ' ' to the danger arising from the practice of 

 in Sheep. skinning the carcases of "struck" sheep 



on the pastures and leaving them there 

 unburied. It must be remembered that this disease is 

 contracted from spores present in the soil, and as the muscle- 

 juices and other fluids of animals which have died of this 

 disease contain a plentiful supply of the causal microbe, the 

 practice of skinning carcases and leaving them to exude their 

 juices must add to the contamination of the soil and doubtless 

 furthers the distribution of infection. In a district such as 

 Romney Marsh the probability is that the soil is already in a 

 badly infected condition, so that it is very desirable that such 

 a practice should be discontinued and every precaution taken 

 to prevent further infection. 



The persistent character of the virus was shown in an 

 experiment made some years ago by Mr. Stockman, the Board's 

 Chief Veterinary Officer. A considerable quantity of soil was 

 sterilized at a very high temperature and placed in large 

 porous pots. The diluted muscle juices of an animal, which 

 had died of the disease, was then poured over this soil and it 

 was found possible, many months afterwards, to produce the 

 disease in other animals by inoculating them with washings 

 from the soil so treated. 



