Report to the General Meeting. 
regulations in reference to the importation of both foreign and 
Irish cattle, and to the restrictions which it is desirable to impose 
in order to diminish the risk of their conveying contagious or 
infectious diseases to English stock." Since then the increasing 
gravity of the circumstances induced the Council, last July, to 
send a deputation on the subject to the Vice-President of the 
Privy Council, and subsequently to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 
and the Chief Secretary. 
The Council of the Society were requested by Mr. Forster to 
inform him specifically, in writing, what regulations they would 
recommend. The Council therefore commissioned the Secretary 
of the Society to make such an investigation into the facts and 
circumstances of the trade in animals as would assist them in 
complying with the request of the Government. 
During the summer recess he has accordingly visited the ports 
of shipments of cattle in Ireland and the Continent, four times 
traversed the German Ocean, and seven times the Irish Channel 
in cattle steamers, and been present at several of the principal 
English markets and Irish fairs. A summary of the facts ob- 
served has been laid before the Council and formally communi- 
cated to the Government, tosrether with suHfSfestions of the Council 
for fresh regulations ; and a paper giving an ample account of 
the Secretary's investigations is in preparation for the ensuing 
number of the 'Journal.' 
In addition to the foot-and-mouth disease, the outbreak of 
cattle-plague in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has been a matter 
. of grave anxiety to the Council. Fortunately the prompt and 
energetic action of the local authorities and the ready co-operation 
of most of the farmers in the districts, assisted by the advice of 
the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council, restricted the 
spread of the disease within a much narrower compass than at 
one time seemed probable. An investigation into the circum- 
stances which preceded this outbreak, and some of which appear 
to have been its immediate cause, will be published in the next 
number of the 'Journal.' 
Still more recently, an increase in the number of animals 
affected with pleuro-pneumonia has been noticeable in many parts 
of England ; but it is satisfactory to observe that the Privy 
Council have issued an order which gives sufficient power to 
local authorities who desire to stamp out this disease. The 
