ANIMAL DISEASE IN NATAL, 667 
pounds (£2000), and this is but a small proportion, I 
believe, of the actual losses of the colony from this affection 
during the past year. With such an exceedingly conta¬ 
gious disease to deal with, it is to be regretted that more 
effectual measures are not adopted to prevent its spread, and 
I beg respectfully to urge the consideration of this subject, 
as soon as the state of public affairs will admit, with a view 
to the adoption of more stringent regulations for its better 
prevention. 
The losses from red-water have been very heavy during 
the past summer, and continue up to the present time. 
Until measures are adopted to prevent sick animals from 
travelling along the public roads, and the ordinance relat¬ 
ing to the burial of dead animals is carried out more effici¬ 
ently, I fail to see how this disease is to be checked, as it is 
from the poison thrown off in the excretions, and from the 
debris of animals, that the veldt is contaminated. 
Sheep suffered severely from the drought of last year, and 
the lateness of the spring, and from the reports which have 
reached me I gather that the lambing season was an un¬ 
usually bad one. 
A considerable amount of disease has existed during the 
past year. 
I commenced an inquiry into the affection termed “ heart- 
water, 5 ’ which I have been unable to complete from want 
of opportunity. “Blue-tongue” has prevailed in some 
districts, while others have been comparatively free. 
A sudden and very fatal outbreak of what appeared to be 
anthrax fever (charbon) occurred in the neighbourhood of 
Howick ; fortunately it did not last long, nor extend very 
far, and only one or two farmers suffered seriously from it. 
I could only account for it by supposing that the rains 
which fell just at that time stimulated the growth of noxious 
plants, which imparted injurious qualities to the food. 
In consequence of the unsettled state of the country, and 
the attention of the farmers being temporarily directed to 
other and more remunerative pursuits, the flocks have been 
neglected, and in many instances left in charge of the 
Kaffirs ; consequently scab has increased in nearly every 
district to a considerable extent. I trust that the advent of 
a more settled state of affairs, together with the operation 
of the new law, will effectually check the spread of this 
affection. 
It will be seen that the amount of disease amongst all 
classes of animals has been unusually large, and much of it 
fjorn causes beyond all foresight or control. Leaving the 
