878 EASTERN COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
the Act that tlje police, as such, should give to themselves as 
Inspectors, and whether the Act was not contravened by such 
appointments. 
Ml'. Seaman (Saffron Walden) said the subject required their 
most serious consideration. It would be remembered that in June, 
1865, the cattle plague invaded our shores, and spread rapidly. As 
soon as it w'as known, various quacks brought cut their nostrums, 
and veterinary surgeons were continually blamed for not being able 
to cure an incurable disease. The profession said at the very first 
that the only way to check the disease was to stamp it out, but this 
course was not at first adopted. The result in Cheshire of adopting 
a similar course to that to be now pursued was that 60,000 cattle 
died of plague, while in the whole kingdom, where attempts were 
made to cure the disease before stamping out was resorted to, the 
loss was of the value of three millions sterling. Yet with this 
dearly bought experience the same plan had been again adopted in 
Cheshire, and it M'as not unlikely that, as in the case of the cattle 
plague, the farmers of that county would hereafter come to the 
Government and ask that the country should make good the losses 
incurred by their neglecting to take sufficient precautions to pre¬ 
serve their own herds. 
Mr. W. Smith considered the question as one of vital interest to 
the country as affecting the food of the people. When they took 
into consideration that the cost of the cattle plague amounted to 
something like three millions, and that this was a small proportion 
to the loss which would be sustained by the advance of the foot and 
mouth disease, should three fourths of the herds be attacked, it 
would be seen how important the question was. In Norfolk the 
proportion attacked or suffering at this moment was three fourths. 
It might be said that many of the animals so attacked were not fit 
for food, as not being fat beasts, but it must be remembered that 
the cows were afflicted with the disease not only in this county, but 
elsewhere, and that milk was food. He had never heard such com¬ 
plaints of the quality of milk as now. The milk of these cows, if 
given warm to pigs or young stock, was often fatal to them within 
a few hours, and under these circumstances he questioned whether, 
where the fever was high, the milk was not deleterious, and ought 
to be thrown away. He certainly wmuld not recommend that it 
should be given to any animal whatever, unless it were previously 
boiled. The country might be certain that very little of the meat 
would be sent to market while the distemper was raging, and that 
would to increase the price to the consumer, by diminishing the 
supply. He was sure that the flesh of animals affected with pleuro¬ 
pneumonia was often sent to the London markets from the neigh¬ 
bourhood of this city, and from every other part of the kingdom. 
He would, however, make this remark relative to such meat;—he 
did not think the public need be so apprehensive of the conse¬ 
quences of eating the meat of animals affected with pleuro-pueumo- 
nia, if the meat were thoroughly exposed to a high temperature by 
roasting or boiling before it was eaten, in short if it were well 
