the Royal Veterinary College. 
435 
The disease has, however, been more than usually rife in many 
parts of Eastern Europe, and early in the year it spread from 
Hungary into Lower Austria, showing itself in several places, 
and among these in some villages near Vienna. At that time 
reports were current that the plague had broken out in some of 
the states of the North German Confederation. These rumours 
were, however, traced as having their origin in the precautionary 
measures adopted by Prussia against the introduction of the 
disease from Poland and Galicia. The Dutch government was 
quickly on the alert, and at once despatched a veterinary surgeon 
to Emmerich to inspect all the cattle which were about to enter 
Holland from the Prussian States. The continuance of the 
plague, however, in Poland, notwithstanding the vigilance dis- 
played by Prussia, led to its crossing the frontier, and gaining 
a footing in the province of East Prussia ; and, contrary to what 
would have been thought possible, the disease established itself 
in several distant places in that province before the government 
was aware of its existence. The outbreak was fraught with 
much danger to Western Europe, and even to England, as some 
cattle came direct from East Prussia to London, travelling by 
rail to Berlin only the day before the government closed the 
railway against cattle traffic as a precautionary measure. It was 
subsequently ascertained that the plague had been conveyed into 
Prussia by some cattle-dealers, who had bought infected cattle 
in Poland and sent them to a fair at Miihlhausen, where they 
were sold to different persons, and thus distributed the disease 
■over the province. 
The latest intelligence which has been received is far from 
reassuring, as, according to official reports, the plague had 
entered Silesia from the south-western districts of Poland ; and 
-although it was quickly stamped out, the state of things was so 
threatening that both the Prussian and Austrian frontiers were 
being strictly guarded by the military. It may be hoped that 
Western Europe will be thus protected from further loss through 
this most malignant and infectious disease ; but that Poland, 
Galicia, Hungary, Transylvania, and Buckowina will suffer 
severely from the outbreak cannot be questioned. 
With reference to another foreign disease, the small-pox of 
sheep, it may be mentioned, that the Government measures, which 
required that all foreign sheep should undergo a quarantine of 
fourteen days, or be slaughtered within four days at the port 
of landing, proved most effective in securing the country against 
the reintroduction of the malady. It will be remembered that 
these regulations were in full operation at the commencement of 
the year, and that no relaxation of their stringency was allowed 
until the danger had passed. This disease is always to be found 
