208 
Report on the Trade in Animals. 
disease, I followed tlie case through its various stages. By noon, 
I found that the identical corner of the green where the lot of 83 
had been stationed previous to their dismissal had been taken 
possession of by another consignment ; and it appeared, not only 
to me, but to an agricultural friend, whose experience ought to 
constitute him an authority, that both the new arrivals and a 
large number of other cattle, as well as some of the few remain- 
ing sheep, were affected in no slight degree. We selected one 
ewe of the blackfaced Scotch breed that exhibited very marked 
symptoms, and on examination detected the blushed mouth in 
so distinct a condition that it was worthy of being sketched. 
The accounts of the cattle-fair that appeared in the news- 
papers the next day contained a sentence to the effect that " one 
case of distemper was discovered by the Government Inspector." 
The Commissioner himself disposes of the question in the fol- 
lowing paragraph in his Report, dated five days after the fair : — 
" In conclusion, I am satisfied a great and exaggerated notion prevails 
among the public generally with regard to the amount of disease at the last 
Ballinasloe fair. That there were no cases of contagious disease in the fair 
besides those already referred to among the one lot, is more than I am 
prepared to stale, owing to the hurried nature of my inspection ; but I 
am satisfied that acute cases were few. Among the numbers of stock that 
I have passed on the roads since the fair, few showed symptoms of any 
disease, except soreness of feet from driving ; but foot-and-mouth distemper 
being at present so widely spread in all parts of Ireland, stock may take it 
any where, and at any time, when going along the roads. The disease certainly 
did not originate in the late fair of Ballinasloe ; and, as I stated to you in my 
communication last week, I consider, unless precautions are rigidly enforced at 
an earlier season, it is iiseless, at this time of the year, when the disease has 
been so long raging, to do more than prevent stock in a very acute stage of 
the disease from being moved about the coTmtry." 
It would be instructive to learn what was the influence of the 
Ballinasloe fair of 1872 on the spread of foot-and-mouth disease 
in England and Ireland. Nothing can be ascertained with regard 
to England in the absence of any machinery for the purpose ; but 
the publication of the returns for 1872, on the plan of Tables V. 
and VI., will enable us to estimate the result for Ireland, That 
it must have been very considerable is the conclusion at which 
I arrived ; and it was subsequently strengthened by reading the 
following paragraph in the ' Irish Farmers' Gazette,' of Novem- 
ber 2nd : — 
" Foot-and-mouth disease has re-appeared in different parts of the county of 
Longford. At the late Ballinasloe fair a gentleman, named Mr. Eussell, 
residing about four miles from the town of Longford, purchased several 
hundred heid of cattle, and had them grazing on his land. About a week 
ago he discovered that they were affected with the disease. He has already 
lost about 50 animals, and on Tuesday se'nnight alone 13 of them died." 
The paragraph is not dated, and " a week ago " is probably a 
misprint for " a week after." From the date of the paper con- 
