678 
IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN CATTLE. 
proved agricultural economy of Great Britain. But let it not rest 
upon my opinion, or any facts I shall bring forward; in the mean 
time you and others of the profession judge for yourselves; go 
down to Brewer’s Quay — see the filthy state of the hold of a cattle 
steamer — see the manner in which cattle and sheep are landed and 
examined ; and then say, if it is possible for the examiner to decide, 
under the circumstances, whether or not any ha ve fever. Down goes 
the sling or basket, and up comes a cow or five sheep, the first with 
its whole weight dropped on the deck, not on its legs ; the second 
turned heels over head out of the basket, with “ Now, doctor, for 
a true examination ; here they are, as lively as kittens/’ It would 
be invidious to comment upon this gentleman, who no doubt obeys 
his instructions. The exporters are better judges than to send 
over cattle and sheep in that state of disease, that you might see 
it by looking them in the face ; in fact, the older animals have, 
most likely, had the fever. The danger is not when they are 
brought over on deck, but when the young and predisposed ani- 
mal is brought over in the hold. Your readers need not be told 
by me that the (Pocken) fever would be sooner produced in this 
way than by inoculation — that the fever would appear after having 
passed the inspector : and the local affection when at Alresford 
Fair, Hants, where they have been rubbing their foreign noses 
over sheep that had to return unsold to large flocks, and for the 
consequences, I beg leave to refer to The Veterinarian, N. S., 
p. 205, No. 52. 
Cases of a similar kind occur in every man’s practice. I acci- 
dentally saw lungensucht (pulmonary consumption) at Putney 
Heath in 1837. Lord De Grey had an Alderney cow, in health, 
till two more were bought, when all became diseased, as it was 
supposed, from contagion. It was not possible for me to deter- 
mine this, but I recommended two to be immediately destroyed : 
one had died. The paddock grass was covered with purulent mat- 
ter, and, had it been a homestead, I should have cautioned against 
the danger of contagion. Now, Sir, when a similar case happens 
in Germany, the farmer receives compensation for a milch cow 
90 marks ; and, in the event of it happening from contagion under 
the new tariff, will the British farmer receive compensation from 
the county-rate or from Parliament I If compensation is not to be 
allowed, these cattle and sheep should not go further than from 
the ship to the slaughter-house. 
Free trade implies reciprocity in dealing ; but how does the 
case stand 1 There are no district veterinary surgeons, as in Ger- 
many, to seize pocken cattle and sheep that may have the disease, 
subsequently to inspection at the Custom-house, among TO, 000 
cattle and sheep at our large fairs and markets. Supposing this 
