218 
The Outbreak of Cattle-Plague. 
inquiries in their different districts as to the sanitary condition* 
of their live stock. This appeared to him particularly necessary 
in boroughs. In the open country, where disease occurred, if a 
farmer sent away his cattle his neighbours immediately noticed 
it ; but no particular attention was attracted by cows being- 
driven from a dairyman's premises, as this was a common oc- 
currence. Therefore, it was most important to ascertain the 
condition of animals in the dairies in large towns. This point 
was recommended particularly to the notice of local authorities 
in the circulars issued from the Veterinary Department some 
weeks since, but from what had taken place he was compelled 
to believe that the intention of these circulars had been mis- 
apprehended. Some of the local authorities had made regula- 
tions, copies of which had been forwarded to the Veterinary 
Department. They were nearly all based on the presumption, 
that if cattle-plague existed in the district, arrangements should 
be made to meet it ; but the object of the circulars sent by the 
Department was to induce the authorities to ascertain if disease 
existed, and to take steps to meet it before any serious outbreak 
occurred. The great danger was that disease might be distri- 
buted all over the country before any one knew anything about 
it. The object of the circulars was to induce local authorities 
to make strict inquiries, in order to ascertain the condition of 
stock in all the towns and in all the farms in the country. 
There could be no difficulty in doing this, if the local authorities- 
put into motion the machinery in their hands. The Veterinary 
Department had no such machinery. As it was, however, they 
had pressed into the service a number of travelling inspectors,, 
whose business lay in quite another direction, and the inquiries 
made by them had led to valuable results ; indeed, without 
them the Department would have failed to obtain much im- 
portant information. It was quite t evident that all Acts in this 
country were passed with the intention of their being carried 
into effect by the various local authorities. He thought he was 
right in saying that there are nearly two thousand inspectors in 
different parts of the country. All these inspectors could be set 
in action by the simple direction of the local authorities, and it 
would be quite possible within a week to get a complete know- 
ledge of the state of stock all over the country. But if the local 
authorities simply contented themselves with making regulations 
for use as soon as cattle-plague was discovered, the probability 
was that the disease would not be detected in time to prevent 
its rapid extension. 
The local authorities in the infected districts had taken steps 
at once to stop fairs and markets, and to prohibit the movement 
of cattle. With regard to Hull, he might mention that oa 
