Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 
453 
vigilance of the Inspector and the determination of the authorities 
to carry out the law, nearly all the Irish dealers were fined in 
turn for exposing diseased cattle or pigs in the market ; but how- 
ever necessary this course might be for the purpose of deterring 
others from committing a like offence, it is doubtful if any 
sanitary gain resulted. The seizure of the diseased animals did 
not prevent the infection of others in the market, and the 
punishment inflicted on the dealers induced them to obtain 
the aid of a veterinary surgeon to inspect their stock on the morn- 
ing of the market and select all which gave evidence of disease ; 
these were, of course, kept on the premises or otherwise disposed 
of, and those which had been up to the market day herded with 
them, but were not then discoverably affected, were sent to the 
market and sold to carry the disease to all parts of the country. 
Owing to this arrangement it happened that for some months 
during the prevalence of the disease no diseased animals were to 
be found in Bristol market ; the fact, however, of there being a 
considerable number of infected animals there was perfectly well 
known at the time, and was abundantly proved by the numerous 
outbreaks which occuned among the animals after they arrived at 
their destination. 
Cleansing and disinfection of markets and lairs attached to 
them is far more easily suggested than carried into effect. Often 
it happens that the cost of the work would be almost ruinous 
owing to the extent of surface to be gone over. Not unfre- 
quently the position of the market place, the streets in the town 
for instance, or a large field, renders any effective cleansing and 
disinfecting impracticable, but in such instances there is good 
reason to believe that the atmosphere does all that is necessary 
to be done before the next market. Some markets and lairs are 
conveniently arranged for the application of disinfectants, and 
such application should always be insisted on, at least on every 
occasion when diseased animals are exposed for sale. But after 
all, observation is in favour of the belief that little harm arises 
from the morbific matter which is left in an open market by one 
or two diseased animals on a market day. A lew days' exposure 
to air and moisture will be sufficient to neutralize the poison ; but 
undoubtedly, much injury is produced by turning animals out of 
a market into adjacent lairs to wait till the next market day, such 
places become, in times of prevalence of the disease, centres of 
infection which should be dealt with stringently, and regularly 
cleansed and disinfected under proper supervision. 
Movement of diseased animals along public roads, or in any 
way, by land or water, is admitted to be a fruitful cause of 
the spread of the affection. The secretions and excretions,' more 
particularly the saliva, which flows abundantly from the mouth 
H 2 
