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Horses Act, 1914, in so far as these Acts regulate the method by which horses shall be
carried from any port in Great Britain on board ship. The new Order prescribed the
character of the fittings of vessels engaged in the trade and the general provision to
be made on board for a supply of food and water and for the general comfort of the
animals. One of the most important provisions of the Order is that which requires
that, as from 1st April, 1922, the fittings of all vessels used for the carriage of horses
by sea from Great Britain shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications
contained in the schedule to the Order. A clear and definite standard to which all
vessels engaged in this traffic are required to conform is thus established. Other
provisions of the Order regulate the carriage of animals by railway in Great Britain,
and specify the protection to be provided during the winter in open-sided trucks,
and lay down regulations as to the supply of food and water. The Council is the
authority in London for enforcing certain of the provisions of the Order, and the new
requirements have been brought to the notice of persons concerned.
To ensure that the requirements of the Animals (Transit and General) Order,
1912, and the Exportation and Transit of Horses, etc., Order of 1921, are being
observed, and that the animals are free from signs of disease, the Council's inspectors
pay numerous visits to railway wharves, depots, etc., where animals in transit are
collected. The visits during 1922 numbered 3,736, the animals examined being—
horses 3,577, cattle 35,182, sheep 51,578, swine 6,041, making a total of 96,378.
There were 20 infringements, 18 written cautions and 2 convictions, with penalties
and costs amounting to £20.
Animals in
transit.
Swine fever has been very prevalent throughout Great Britain during the past
few years, and no fewer than ten outbreaks were dealt with in London during the
year. The work carried out during 1922 under the Swine Fever (Regulation of
Movement) Order, 1908, and the Regulation of Movement of Swine Order of 1922
(a modified Order which superseded the former Order as from 1st October, 1922)
was as follows:—swine examined at feeders' premises, 21,133; infringements, 11;
penalties and costs imposed, £8s. 3s.
Swine fever.
Antnrax occurs occasionally in London, ana so long as loader is importea from
abroad sporadic cases will probably arise. Most stringent precautions in the way of
cleansing and disinfection are taken by the Council's inspectors who personally
supervise the destruction of the entire carcase of an infected animal as well as any
article with which it may have come into immediate contact. During 1922 there
were nine cases of anthrax among men, two of which proved fatal. In seven of
these infection was traced to the handling of imported hides, hair, etc., in the course
of the patients' employment. In another case the patient had assisted in skinning
a horse which had died suddenly on a farm. In the remaining case the source of infection
was not traced. No case of animal anthrax in London was confirmed during 1922.
Anthrax,
The Council is convinced that the most efficacious measures for stamping out
hydrophobia are muzzling, the seizure of all stray dogs, and the regulation of the
importation of dogs. Under the Dogs Order, 1906, which revoked all then existing
muzzling regulations, the Council made new regulations requiring the wearing of
collars by dogs while on a highway. Under these regulations, 12,411 dogs were seized
by the police during 1922 and 6,266 were destroyed.
Rabies.
On the outbreak of the war, the Order dealing with parasitic mange was
temporarily suspended, with the result that the disease increased largely. The
conditions under which trade horses are fed and worked in London, particularly
during busy seasons, tend to encourage the spread of the disease. During 1922,
however, the returns of cases in London showed a marked decrease, and a satisfactory
feature of this decrease was the fact that fewer animals were affected in each outbreak.
The following figures relate to 1922—outbreaks, 96; horses affected, 164;
infringements, 21; written cautions sent, 6; convictions, 15; penalties and costs,
£85 5s. For the purposes of comparison, the number of outbreaks in 1921 was
218, affecting 414 horses.
Parasitic
mange.