48 
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. 
The decline of the foot and mouth disease, to which we 
called attention in our last month's issue, appears to he fully 
confirmed, so that a good hope may be entertained that the 
country has seen the worst of this remarkable outbreak. The 
centres of the affection have fallen to 2300, being 300 less 
than the corresponding period of last month ; and a similar 
diminution has taken place in the number of fresh outbreaks. 
Some counties are altogether free of cases, while in others 
the disease exists in only some isolated places. "With com- 
paratively few exceptions, also, the cargoes of foreign cattle 
which arrive at our several ports are found to be healthy. 
The statement that the outbreak of the disease in the 
Agricultural Hall, on the day succeeding the Smithfield Club 
show, was due to some foreign cattle, which arrived at 
Maiden Lane Station shortly before a train from Birmingham 
containing animals for the show, is so opposed to all the facts 
of the case, that we can only suppose it must have had its 
origin in some one who is unwilling to lose any opportunity 
of attempting to fix every outbreak of disease upon foreign 
imports. 
SMALLPOX OE SHEEP. 
We learn that sheep-pox still prevails in the neighbour- 
hood of Stettin, and other parts of Pomerania. It has also 
broken out on several farms in Mecklenburg, and fears were 
entertained of its further spread. 
SCAB. 
We hear much of the increase of scab, both in Great 
Britain and also on the Continent. The returns under the 
Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, which we publish, shows 
that two cargoes of sheep suffering from this troublesome 
cutaneous disease have arrived in this country, one from 
Antwerp, and the other from Aarhuus, in all 524 animals. 
In both instances the sheep were killed at the place of im- 
port. W e further learn that in the first week of December 
there were 188 centres in Great Britain from which the 
disease might spread. In Lincolnshire thirty sheep belonging 
to one person have died from the injudicious use of mercurial 
ointment for the cure of scab. 
