791 
STATISTICS OF CATTLE DISEASES. 
At the meeting of the Cuckfield (Sussex) Agricultural 
Association, Mr. Charles Lennox Peel, clerk to the Privy 
Council, gave some important statistics as to the operation of 
the Cattle Diseases Prevention Acts, and the Orders in 
Council founded thereon. 
The number of cattle and sheep affected with pleuro-pneu- 
monia had been during the first eight months of 1879? 
29 55 ; and during a similar period in 1880, 1859? showing a 
reduction of 1096. The number of animals affected with foot- 
and-mouth disease, which was formerly so prevalent in this 
country, was, for the first eight months of 1879? 14,648; 
and the same period of 1880, the figures had declined to 49, 
and a large proportion of those cases were reported not to be 
true foot-and-mouth disease. 
The figures relating to sheep-scab also showed a con¬ 
siderable diminution, for whereas during the first eight 
months of 1879? 40,308 animals were affected, in the first 
eight months of 1880 the number had fallen to 14,414. 
There w T as also a falling-off in the animals attacked with 
swine fever, from 11,983 in the first eight months of 1879? 
to 7741 during the same period of 1880. These results must 
be, he thought, regarded as most satisfactory. 
Mr. Peel also considers that it was not desirable to import 
store stock from the United States till that country could 
show a clean bill of health. At the present time it would be 
folly, nay madness, to allow them to come because many 
animals were not found to be affected till they were 
slaughtered ; thus showing a hidden source of danger, which, 
if left unheeded, must lead to most serious results. There¬ 
fore, he was convinced that home restrictions and foreign 
restrictions must stand or fall together, because if the restric¬ 
tions on imported animals were abolished, it could not be 
expected that the farmers would bear the expense of stamping 
out the disease. 
Ten years ago pleuro-pneumonia prevailed extensively in 
Holland. The term Dutch cow was synonymous with pleuro¬ 
pneumonia. But in 1871, when the number of cases 
amounted to 6079? the Government ordered that diseased 
animals should be slaughtered. And the returns since 
showed that the number of cases had decreased to 1723 in 
1876. In that year the slaughter of healthy cattle that had 
been in contact was sanctioned, if ordered by the Minister 
