Infectious Diseases of Animals. 
Yapham, ncai- Pocklington, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, was telegraphed 
to the Veterinary Department. 
An investigation was immediately ordered, and Mr. Wilkinson, Veterinary 
Inspector, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, was instructed to proceed to Pocklington, 
which place he reached on the evening of the day on which information of the 
outbreak was received in London ; and, after inspecting the diseased cattle, 
he had no hesitation in re[X3riing that they were suffering from rinderpest. 
All the regulations of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1869, and the 
Orders relating to cattle plague were directly put in force. The whole of 
the cattle forming the infected herd were killed and buried, the proceeding 
occupying the greater part of the two following days, and the district was 
declared " infected " by the local authority. 
On ray arrival at Pocklington I ascertained that a considerable number of 
cattle belonging to diflerent owners had been pastured in the fields adjacent 
to Mr. Berryman's lands. Some of these cattle had been removed by the 
owners before the nature of the disease among Mr. Berryman's cattle was 
known, but there was reason to apprehend that thej' had been exposed to the 
infection. On this presumption 1 pointed out to the local authority the risk 
which was incurred of the spreading of the disease ; however, as the cattle 
had not been in contact with the diseased animals, it did not appear that they 
could be slaughtered by order of the authorities. I'hey were all included 
within the boundaries of the infected district, and could consec^uently be kept 
under supervision. 
It is a matter of absolute certainty that at the time of my visit the infec- 
tion had actually extended to some of the herds referred to, although no indica- 
tion of disease was detected until a week after the slaughter of Mr. Berryman's 
herd. 
The cattle plague extended by degrees from Yapham until it reached the 
stock on a farm about five miles distant, and notwithstanding the active steps 
which were taken by the authorities of Pocklington to carry out the law, the 
plague was not finally extinguished until the last week in October. 
At the commencement of the investigation the following particulars referring 
to the introduction of the disease into Yapham were furnished to me by Mr. 
Berryman : — 
On August 19th Mr. Berryman bought, at Hunmanby market, 22 cattle of 
Mr. Woodcock of Bridlington, who had 26 cattle in the market for sale. On 
the same evening the 22 beasts bought by Mr. Berryman were driven to Driffield, 
a distance of 14 miles, and pastured in a field by themselves, near the Falcon 
Inn. The next day the animals were driven to Pocklington, a distance of 
16 miles, and placed in Mr. Berryman's paddock outside the town. On the 
following day they were driven a distance of two miles to fields in Mr. Berry- 
man's occupation at Yapham. where they remained. Mr. Berryman did not 
see the animals for two or three days after their arrival at Yapham, and when 
he did visit the pastures in which they were kept, he did not like the appear- 
ance of several of them. However, expecting an outbreak of foot-and-mouth 
disease, he was not alarmed at the slight signs of illness which he detected. 
Nothing of consequence occurred until August 27th, when the herdman 
informed Mr. BeiTyman that two of the cattle were very ill. On the next 
day one of the beasts was in a dying state and the other suffering severely. 
Both these animals died shortly afterwards. 
The symptoms which Mr. Berryman noticed were diaiThoea, discharge from 
eyes and nostrils, and soreness of mouth. Veterinary aid was sought, and 
the sick animals were placed under treatment. The disease rapidly spread 
among the herd, several beasts died, and the veterinary inspector of the dis- 
trict was led to suspect the existence of cattle plague. Owing to the report 
which he sent to the local authority a meeting of the magistrates was held on 
