269 
Contagious Diseases of Live Stock. 
1865 a veterinary department was formed, for which were 
secured the services of Professor Simonds and Professor 
Brown, as veterinary advisers. Dr. Williams, who was then 
private secretary to Mr. Helps, the Clerk of the Council, 
acted as secretary to the new department, and a staff of veterinary 
inspectors was appointed. Colonel Harness, of the Royal Engi- 
neers, who had had extensive experience in official work, was some 
time afterwards appointed Secretary to the Cattle Plague 
Department, and Dr. Williams, who really acted as assistant 
secretary, was retained with the singular title of medical adviser, 
for the short time during which Colonel Harness remained in 
office, resuming the post of secretary when Colonel Harness 
gave up the charge of the department. The Privy Council 
issued in rapid succession orders that were neither understood 
nor acted upon, and thus, finding them quite unavailing, they 
solicited the Queen to issue a Royal Commission to investigate 
the origin and nature of the disease, and to frame regulations for 
checking its progress. 
On August 30, 1865, the Veterinary Committee of the 
Royal Agricultural Society issued an appeal to its members, 
urging them to co-operate with the Government and with other 
agricultural societies in their efforts to suppress the disease. 
This timely appeal was accompanied by a series of precautionary 
measures, but with little result. 
The report of the Royal Commission appeared in November, 
but, whilst it brought no relief, it confirmed the worst opinions 
that had been expressed by Professor Simonds and others that the 
pole-axe was the only remedy. While one section of the Com- 
mission very wisely recommended the stoppage of all cattle 
traffic, the other members advised placing the responsibility for 
this in the hands of the local authorities. The latter recom- 
mendation found favour with the Government, and with a most 
disastrous result, as shown by Mr. Howard Reed’s table of out- 
breaks, which appeared in the Journal (Vol. II., 2nd Series, 
1866, p. 234). 
Although the experience, as recorded, of the visitations of the 
plague in the past century furnished a valuable guide, it 
was not acted upon. Had it been adopted as a guide for 
extermination, much distress would have been averted. Deputa- 
tion after deputation waited upon the Government officials to 
urge the adoption of stringent measures respecting the importa- 
tion, the transit, and the sale and removal of stock. They were 
received with the usual courtesy, but no beneficial result followed 
the interviews. Meanwhile Scotland had adopted, with success, 
the remedy of slaughter. 
