Report on the Trade in Animals. 
201 
The disease prevailed most extensively in that portion of the east 
of Ireland adjacent to the three great ports of shipment in that 
region — Dublin, Drogheda, and VVaterford — and in those counties 
which are the chief seats of the cattle traffic. Thus the propor- 
tion of cattle affected in county Westmeath was 23 04 per cent, of 
the total registered number ; in Meath it was 20'08, in Louth 
13 94, and in county Dublin 17'68 — all these counties being in 
the immediate neighbourhood of Dublin and Drogheda. In the 
county Waterford the proportion was as high as 23 9 per cent., 
and in the adjacent county of Tipperary the comparatively low 
percentage of 6 87 represented very nearly 15,000 beasts. The 
counties which connected these two groups also suffered very 
considerably, Carlow showing a proportion of 13"15, Kildare of 
13 98, Kilkenny of 11'96, King's County of 12"1, and Queen's 
County of 11'7 per cent. ; while Wexford, which was out of the 
way of the traffic, was affected to the extent of only 2 65 per cent. 
The influence of a great fair may be traced by the returns for the 
county Galway, shown in Table V. Ballinasloe fair, the largest 
forjsheep and cattle in Ireland, is held just within the confines of 
this county, in the first whole week in October. The county was 
reported to be free from both foot-and-mouth and pleuro-pneumonia 
from March to August, 1871 (both months inclusive). In Sep- 
tember the " distemper," as foot-and-mouth disease is termed in 
Ireland, was reported on 13 farms, and pleuro-pneumonia on 1 ; 
in October the number of places affected with foot-and-mouth 
had increased to 161, and in November to 311 ; but in December 
it fell once more to 127. The adjoining county is Roscommon, 
and through it most of the cattle destined for the fair are con- 
veyed by rail or driven by road. Owing to the large number 
generally sent by road, it is reasonable to suppose that the "dis- 
temper " would develop itself a little earlier in that county than 
at the place of ultimate destination, besides which, important 
fairs are held in Roscommon itself during August and Sep- 
tember. Now, in 1871, no foot-and-mouth was reported as 
existing in county Roscommon until the month of August, 
when 56 farms or other premises were returned as affected. 
In September the number had risen to 165, and in October it 
reached its maximum of 307. In November the number of 
affected places had decreased to 171, and in December to 86. 
Unfortunately, with regard to the spread of disease in Ireland, 
we are inclined to take the facts, even when officially stated, cum 
fjrano salis, and to question every conclusion that might be 
drawn from them,* in consequence of the too frequent neglect of 
* Ex. gr. — The reported freedom of Ireland from foot-and-mouth disease during 
April and May, 1871. 
