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XIX. — Report on the Health of Animals of the Farm, By Pro- 
fessor J. B. SiMONDS, Principal of the Royal Veterinary 
College, and Consulting Veterinary Surgeon to the Society. 
In the last Report of the College ' On the Health of Animals 
of the Farm,' which was brought down to the end of the past 
year, attention was drawn to the circumstance that no unusual 
amount of disease due to common causes had prevailed among 
cattle and sheep. This remark may now be repeated, as being 
equally applicable to the first half of the present year. On the 
contrary, since January, special diseases, and notably those 
which come under the ordinary designation of epizootics, have 
been very rife. 
With respect, first, to the most common of these maladies, 
" foot-and-mouth disease," the reports which have come to hand 
would seem to show that this malady has varied but little, and 
that it is as wide-spread now (July) as it has been at any time 
during the past winter. Its malignancy, however, would seem 
to have been somewhat abated, as we have heard of fewer deaths, 
excepting in cases where ordinary sanitary precautions had been 
neglected, or where excessive dosing of animals with medicine 
had been adopted. Secondary attacks have also been less fre- 
quent, than which there are few better proofs of the disease 
having assumed a milder type. 
Speaking in general terms, the disease may be said to have 
prevailed over the whole of Great Britain ; but it has never- 
theless been asserted on good authority that Ireland has escaped 
an outbreak of the malady. If this be correct, of which we 
have considerable doubt, the fact is the more remarkable, when 
the wide diffusion of " foot-and-mouth disease " on the Continent 
is considered. According to the latest information, both Spain 
and Italy have now to be added to the list of infected countries. 
The returns from the \'eterinary Department of the Privy Coun- 
cil Office also show, that week by week diseased cattle, sheep, 
and pigs, have during the last six months been landed at our 
ports from Belgium, France, Holland, and Germany, and also 
now and then from Denmark and Sweden. The diseased 
animals, and those which were brought in the same vessels with 
them, have been dealt with according to the provisions of the 
law, and slaughtered at the port of landing.* 
* In the interval between the writing of this Report and its pnhlication, " foot- 
aiid-moiitli-disease " assumed a very serious form, audattacke<l large numbers ot 
sheep and pigs as well as cattle over the greater part of England. Its esistenoe 
also in Ireland was fully established. 
