EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 33 
was to prevent the admission of diseased animals. For this 
purpose exceptional precautions were adopted. 
The entries were, by a resolution of Council, restricted 
to animals which had not been exhibited at other shows 
shortly before being sent to the Smithfield Show. 
Exhibitors were requested to send their animals in horse¬ 
boxes or by private conveyance. 
A certificate was demanded from each exhibitor to the 
effect that his animals had not, for a fortnight previously to 
being sent to the show, been in contact with any animal 
suffering from a contagious or infectious disease. 
Owners of stock were doubtless very desirous of avoiding 
the inconvenience and loss which would attend the rejection 
of their animals from the show and their detention by the 
local authority, and altogether it may be safely affirmed that 
the risk of infection was reduced to a minimum. 
Arrangements were made for the examination of every 
animal outside the Agricultural Hall, and proper places were 
provided by the Local Authority for the reception of any 
which the veterinary inspectors certified to be the subjects of 
infectious disease. 
It is a matter for congratulation that no occasion arose for 
the use of the sanatorium which had been provided; all the 
animals were found to be free from indications of infec¬ 
tious or contagious disease, nor were any such indications 
observed during the week of the show; but, on the contrary, it 
was generally remarked that the stock looked unusually fresh 
and healthy. There were no vacant places, as all the en¬ 
tries, or nearly all, had been duly filled up. 
No special provisions were made to meet the difficulty 
which would have arisen had an outbreak of foot-and-mouth 
disease occurred during the show, and under the circum¬ 
stances the society wisely avoided complicating the matter 
by asking for additional legislation, which, as the event 
proved, was not necessary. In the present state of the 
law it would have been the duty of the society to give notice 
to the police of an outbreak of infectious disease among the 
animals, and, further, to keep such diseased animals apart 
3 
XLVI. 
