VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
785 
CONVICTION FOE NEGLECTING- TO GIVE NOTICE OF 
THE EXISTENCE OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. 
On Saturday, September 17th, James Bodger, cowkeeper, of Isle- 
worth, was summoned before the Brentford bench of magistrates 
for not having given notice of the outbreak of the foot and mouth 
disease among his cattle, as required by the statute. 
Mr. Jasper Hinge, veterinary surgeon and inspector, said from 
information received, he went to the premises of the defendant, and 
there found two cows suffering from the foot and mouth disease. 
There were nine others, seven of which had had the disease and 
recovered. 
The defendant pleaded ignorance of the provisions of the Act, 
and admitted that nine of his cows had had the disease. The 
Chairman impressed upon the defendant the importance of giving 
immediate notice to the inspectors or to the police of the outbreak 
of the disease, and said under the circumstances the Bench would 
inflict only a light fine this time — viz., 40s., including costs, or one 
month’s imprisonment in default. The money was paid. 
Keferring to this prosecution, the Echo of Sept. 20th says that 
“ It is hardly possible that a cow-keeper should be ignorant of the 
provisions of an Act mainly designed for his own benefit. An Isle- 
worth cow-keeper was, however, charged on Saturday last with 
having neglected to give due notice to the inspector of that district 
that his cows were suffering from foot and mouth disease. Two 
cows in his sheds were found to be actually diseased, while seven 
were in various stages of recovery. The Brentford Bench admitted 
the plea of ignorance, and imposed the absurd fine of 40s. and 
costs. Cowkeepers have no business to be ignorant of sanitary law. 
Such ignorance is culpable in itself. And, as milk from diseased 
cows is simply a virulent poison, we hope that, although ignorant of 
law, the cow-keeper had yet sufficient sense of right not to offer 
diseased milk to his customers.” 
