486 
Report on the Contagious and 
vessels which were compelled to take in only part of their cargo at St. Peters- 
burg owing to the insufficient depth of water might call at Cronstadt, and 
take in their complement of cattle to convey them to England, and elsewhere. 
About 50 of the cattle were shipped to Lubeck, where they arrived on the 
17th July ; from Lubeck the animals were sent by rail to Hamburg, and on 
their arrival were driven to a field at Lockstedt on the Holstein Irontier. 
Forty of them were afterwards shipped to Hartlepool, Newcastle, and Hull. 
Of the remaining ten, one died and nine were slaughtered by the butcher who 
bought them. 
The outbreak of cattle plague in Hamburg was traced to the presence of 
these Russian animals in the meadows at Lockstedt. The disease rapidly 
spread to a large herd of German cattle which were grazing in an adjoining 
field. On the 26th July one of these cattle was found dead. On the next 
day two more were very ill, and were killed, and on the 5th August the 
remainder of the herd were destroyed as well as seven beasts in an adjoining field. 
Subsequently 38 of the Russian cattle were sent to Berlin, where they were 
seized by the authorities, and immediately destroyed, in consequence of cattle 
plague being detected among them. The rest of the animals were sent to 
this country with the exception of about 50, which appear to have been sent 
to Cronstadt, and sold there. The infected cargoes arrived here in the follow- 
ing order : — 
On the 17th July the ' Leda' brought 25 cattle from Cronstadt to Deptford 
market. No disease was detected among those animals when they were first 
landed, but before the period of detention had elapsed one of them died, and 
on a post-mortem examination lesions of cattle plague were evident. 
On the 21st July the 'British Queen' arrived at Hartlepool from Hamburg 
with a cargo of cattle and sheep. Some of the cattle were Russian animals, 
and one of them, there is every reason to believe, was the subject of cattle 
plague, although the disease was not officially declared, in consequence of the 
animal having been slaughtered by the owner without the insijector's know- 
ledge or consent. All the animals of this cargo were slaughtered within the 
defined part, the sheep as well as the cattle, in consequence of foot-and-mouth 
disease having been detected soon after the animals were landed.. 
On the 22nd July the ' Brigadier ' from Hamburg arrived at Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne with a cargo of 70 German and 8 Russian cattle. The German 
cattle were healthy, with the exception of two, which were suffering from 
foot-and-mouth disease. One of the Russian cattle was ill, and died soon after 
being landed. In this case also the inspector found the characteristic evidences of 
cattle plague on a post-mortem examination. All the animals were slaughtered 
in the defined part of the port, and the carcases of the plague-infected animals 
were disinfected and sent in charge of an officer to a manure manufactory 
and there destroyed by immersion in vitriol. It was afterwards ascertained 
that one animal of this cargo had died on the voyage and been thrown over- 
board. 
On the 23rd July the ' Benachie ' from Cronstadt arrived at the port of 
Leilh with 50 Russian cattle on board. On making an inspection of these 
animals on board the ship the inspector discovered that 13 of them were the 
subjects of cattle plague. These animals were slaughtered and thrown over- 
board at sea many miles from the land, under the superintendence of the 
veterinary inspector of the port. The rest of the animals of the cargo were 
slaughtered on board, and the carcases were removed in lighters, taken out to 
sea, and thrown overboard. It would appear that the majority of the carcases 
so treated were carried out to sea, as only portions of oft'al and parts of car- 
cases were subsequently washed ashore on the Scotch coast. 
On the 25th July the ' Joseph Soames,' from Cronstadt, arrived at Hull 
with 56 Russian cattle on board. This vessel with its cargo will be referred 
to in another part of the Report. 
