336 CONTAGIOUS CATTLE DISEASES IN YORKSHIRE. 
sense of the inconvenience caused by foot and mouth dis¬ 
ease to farmers themselves, before any real progress will be 
made in checking it. At present, many farmers who purchase 
Irish grazing cattle each autumn, intending to winter them 
on straw and turnips, and sell them out fat from grass in the 
ensuing year, consider it almost a matter of course that their 
cattle will have this epidemic; and they desire to get it over 
as'early as possible, before the beasts gain flesh. If the epi¬ 
demic does not attack them until they are nearly fat, there is 
a loss of a month or six weeks* grazing; but if they are 
affected soon after their arrival the loss appears trivial, the 
attack seldom lasting more than ten days. The returns, I 
think, will show that the disease seldom terminates fatally, 
the loss from death amongst cattle being trifling, and amongst 
sheep almost infinitesimal. 
On the other hand, pleuro-pneumonia is as fatal as ever; 
and from the returns we may conclude that 50 per cent, of 
the animals attacked by this disease fall victims to it. I feel 
satisfied that immediate slaughter will always be found the 
best resource for the farmer whose stock is affected, even if 
there be no compensation awarded, as the flesh of the animal 
when first attacked is not generally considered to be unfit for 
food,* and the chance of recovery is most uncertain. I am, 
however, very much inclined to believe that if all animals 
suffering from pleuro-pneumonia were slaughtered as soon 
as they were attacked, and if a reasonable compensation were 
made to the owner, this disease might soon be eradicated, 
supposing the system to be universally and compulsorily 
carried out. At present different local authorities take diffe¬ 
rent views of the best course to pursue, and there is not 
sufficient uniformity in their proceeding. 
We find that in 1870, in the East Riding of York, out of 
73,575 cattle, only 6 died from foot and mouth disease, and 
none from pleuro-pneumonia. In the North, out of 143,730, 
100 died or were killed in consequence of foot and mouth 
disease, and 30 in consequence of pleuro-pneumonia. In 
the West, out of 220,986, 117 died or were killed on account 
of foot and mouth disease, and 148 on account of pleuro¬ 
pneumonia, so that out of 438,291 cattle, 401 died from these 
# Since writing the above, I find that the Local Government Board have 
introduced the “Public Health Bill,” which proposes to enact, in clauses 44 
and 45, that “ all milk of any animal suffering from any contagious or infec¬ 
tious disease, as defined by the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1869, 
or from any tubercular disease, shall be deemed unwholesome and to be un¬ 
fit for the food of man, and that any person selling for human food any 
animal, carcase or meat, so diseased, shall, on conviction, pay a penalty not 
exceeding £20. 
