Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 
445 
factorilj until the Show was over and a large portion of the 
stock had been removed. 
On the Friday morning, the last day of the Show, all the 
cattle were separately examined without the detection of any 
case of disease ; but on the following morning, at 10 o'clock, a 
Devon ox was found to be suffering from the incipient stage of 
the malady. The remaining cattle, about 45 in number, were 
detained until arrangements could be made for their slaughter 
in the metropolis. All the cattle were removed by licence 
between Monday and Tuesday, but before the Hall was cleared 
six other animals gave evidence of disease. There was nothing 
remarkable in the outbreak save the fact of the cattle remaining 
healthy in the Hall for eight days, while the ordinary period of 
incubation of the disease is three days. It could not be 
reasonably concluded that the Devon ox which was first attacked 
liad been infected before entering the Show more than a week 
previously, and the only alternative presumption was that the 
infection had been introduced by persons who had entered the 
Show after attending to, or being in contact with, diseased cattle, 
either in the metropolitan market where the disease was preva- 
lent, or in some of the London dairies. 
|3j In this year Ireland, which had been tolerably free from foot- 
and-mouth disease for some time, suffered from the introduction 
of diseased cattle which were sent from Bristol Market and 
exposed for sale in one of the Irish stock markets. From this 
centre it is alleged the disease spread very rapidly over the 
country. 
In England the malady continued to extend, and a few local 
authorities applied for the establishment of more stringent 
rules. The applications were granted, and the movement of 
diseased animals, and of animals which had been herded with 
them, was prevented by Order of Council. This measure, 
however, was quickly revoked, in consequence of the almost 
universal opposition with which it was met. 
During 1870 foot-and-mouth disease rather increased than 
abated its ravages. According to the returns many fresh 
outbreaks happened every week. 
In December the disease again showed itself in the Smithfield 
Show. On the last day of the exhibition one of the cattle, a 
cross-bred ox, was found to be affected. In this case the animal 
gave evidence of ill health on the morning of the day, but the 
distinctive symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease were not deve- 
loped until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Accordingly the move- 
ment of the cattle out of the metropolis was interdicted to the 
consternation of owners and salesmen, who at once addressed 
the Government on the subject, and represented the serious loss 
