474 
Foot-and-Moutli Disease. 
country, the knowledge of its destructive action induces stock- 
owners, with few exceptions, to assist in putting the law in 
force for its suppression. The other affections are either so 
slow in their progress as to suggest a hope of the sick animal's 
recovery, or they are benign in their character, and conse- 
quently excite no apprehension of loss from death of the ani- 
mals attacked. Therefore, no serious determination is mani- 
fested in carrying out the regulations which have been imposed 
by the legislature ; and the few who demand more severe re- 
strictions than those in force, rather intend them to be applied 
to their neighbours' herds than to their own. The majority 
practically deny the necessity for any restrictive measures in 
respect of foot-and-mouth disease ; and even if they tacitly accept 
them, they indicate their appreciation of such measures by dis- 
regarding, in their own proceedings, the restrictions which are 
intended for the repression of the disease. In short, there is no 
instance of persons concerned in the cattle trade being so im- 
pressed with the importance of foot-and-mouth complaint as to 
admit the necessity for restrictions which will interfere with 
their business, and subject them to loss and inconvenience. 
Recently we have been suffering from a panic owing to the 
extensive ravages of the affection, and it is quite probable 
that while the excitement continued owners of cattle would 
have endured the inconvenience arising from restrictions on the 
movement of cattle for a time ; but any measure, to be effective, 
must be of universal application ; and it is vain to expect that 
stock-owners, in perfectly healthy districts, would consent to 
suffer for the general benefit, unless they could be made to un- 
derstand that the probable advantage would outweigh the certain 
loss ; and it is precisely at this point that the argument in favour 
of dealing with foot-and-mouth disease by severe restrictive 
enactments fails. 
Difference of opinion as to the origin of the disease and its 
mode of propagation interferes with the adoption by consent of 
any universal system of prevention. Those who contend that 
the malady arises spontaneously — and undoubtedly the number 
of those who hold this view has much increased of late years — 
and others who contend that the poison is in the atmosphere, 
would hardly submit with patience to vexatious regulations 
which they believe to be useless when directed against a disease 
which depends on non-cognizable causes. The success of the 
measures which have been employed to stamp out cattle-plague 
and sheep-pox is chiefly due to the universal recognition of their 
absolute necessity and fitness. No one whose opinion has any 
influence doubts the fact of these diseases being foreign to our 
soil, in which they have never maintained a continued hold ; 
