646 
THE VETERINARIAN, SEPTEMBER 1, 1879. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.—C icero, 
THE NEW ORDER OF COUNCIL RELATING TO “ SWINE 
FEVER.” 
A. few months ago the disease among swine, which is 
generally known in this country as “ typhoid fever ” or 
“ pig typhoid/’ was made the subject of an Order of Council, 
which provided for the slaughter of diseased animals only. 
In a short time, whether in consequence of an increase in the 
prevalence of the disease or of the discovery that the legis¬ 
lative means of dealing with it were insufficient, it is 
difficult to determine, local authorities in those parts of 
the country which were most infested complained that the 
slaughter of the diseased animals did not meet the diffi¬ 
culties of the case. The County of Somerset took a promi¬ 
nent part in the discussion, which was carried on for some 
time in the agricultural press. 
The recent “ Swine Fever Orders ” may be taken to be the 
outcome of the recommendation of the several authorities on 
the subject, and, as usual in this country, where acts and 
orders are administered by local, and not by central execu¬ 
tives, powers are conferred which may be acted up to or 
not, as the circumstances of the district may seem to re¬ 
quire, while certain other powers must be exercised. 
Thus the local authority, on receiving the report of the 
existence of swine fever, must inquire into the correctness 
of the report and determine whether or not the place is to 
continue to be an “ infected place,” which it necessarily 
becomes as soon as the inspector declares the existence of 
disease, correctly or not. The local authority must also cause 
the slaughter of all diseased swine, and may cause the 
slaughter of all those which have been in contact with the 
diseased animals ; and for this purpose they may authorise 
their removal to a slaughter-house. 
