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T7ie Outbreak of Cattle- Plague. 
live animals, and also of dead meat, from countries in which 
cattle-plague existed, or in which it may be likely to appear. 
If the Council asked the Lord President of the Privy Council to 
prohibit importation from all foreign countries, he was quite- 
sure that the Council would meet with a negative reply. The 
subject was a very large one, and could not be adequately 
discussed in the short time at the disposal of the Council ; but 
he might mention as an example that Denmark and Holland 
had in force the most stringent regulations in accordance with 
an international agreement, chiefly with a view to protect them- 
selves. They do not allow any ruminating animal whatever to 
pass their frontiers, either dead or alive, and not even a cat or a 
dog can go into those countries without being first disinfected. 
Therefore, there seems no reason why importation from such 
countries should be prohibited, and the prohibition of foreign 
importation as a whole is quite impossible. With regard to 
Belgium and Germany, that prohibition has already been made, 
and not only live cattle, but also flesh, hides, hoofs, hay, and 
other articles, are prohibited from being landed in England, 
while the Custom-house officers will not even allow the impor- 
tation of bones from the countries mentioned. If an outbreak 
of cattle-plague should occur in any of the countries not already 
scheduled, our consuls are on the alert, and immediate informa- 
tion would be forwarded, and the Government would then 
prohibit all importation from such countries. 
At a Special Council, held on Tuesday, February 20th, Pro- 
fessor Brown said that since the last meeting of the Council of 
the Society there had been several cases of cattle-plague in 
different sheds in the metropolis, and two cases outside. The 
metropolitan area being bounded only by an imaginary line, it 
was not very remarkable that the disease should have spread just 
outside. It had, however, only appeared about a mile and a 
half beyond the area. Another case had been reported that 
morning in Stepney, within the metropolitan district, but, so 
far as he knew at present, the disease had not extended beyond 
a radius of two miles. The most important matter, however, 
to be brought before the Committee was the outbreak in Hull, 
and in reference to this particular subject he wished to correct a 
paragraph in the report which had appeared of his remarks at 
the last meeting of the Council. In reference to the cargo 
landed at Hull on January 12th from the ' Leopard,' he stated 
that the animals had come, it was believed, from the same sheds 
in Hamburg as the diseased cattle which were landed at Dept- 
ford a few days afterwards. He remarked at the same time that 
in consequence of this fact the inspector at Hull was cautioned, 
and an inspector was sent from the Veterinary Department to 
