114 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
times not so real as it seems. If it be asked what 
motive can possibly actuate the uncompromising opponents 
of the foreign cattle trade the answer is at hand. It is 
assumed, or rather it is broadly stated by them, that for every 
foreign animal that is landed in this country two home-bred 
animals are destroyed by the diseases which are introduced 
by the imported beasts, and if we do not mistake a high 
veterinary authority endorses this assumption. Further, it 
is alleged that to the entire consumption of meat in this 
country the continent contributes only nine per cent., of 
which one half is sent as dead meat, thus reducing the pro¬ 
portion of live stock to four and a-lialf per cent, of the total 
quantity used for food. We have no idea how the 
calculation of the consumption of homebred stock is to be 
proved; but it is quite clear that unless some reliable 
data on this point can be obtained the stated proportion 
must be purely hypothetical; one fact in statistics, how¬ 
ever, we must refer to, something like forty-five per cent, 
of the supply of cattle to the London market comes from 
abroad. To the population of London at least this fact is sig¬ 
nificant, and in spite of all that has been said to the contrary, 
we must hesitate to admit that a decrease in the number of 
imported animals would not seriously affect the consumer. 
The suggestion that we should be sufficiently supplied with 
home stock if foreign animals were altogether excluded we 
scout as absurd, and yet if it is true that we lose two of our 
own stock for every foreign animal that is introduced here, 
we ought to have stopped importation long ago. 
The opponents of foreign cattle importation contend that 
all animals landed in this country should be kept in quaran¬ 
tine for the longest period of incubation of the infectious 
diseases to which they are liable, or failing this, they should 
be slaughtered at the landing places. 
Quarantine is simply impracticable, and, therefore the only 
tangible question is, shall all imported animals be killed at 
the place of landing ? According to the Privy Council regu¬ 
lations this question is answered in the affirmative, in respect 
of all animals which are likely to introduce cattle plague. 
Eastern Europe and all countries which permit the transit 
