View report page

128
Child
adoption.
A departmental committee was appointed by the Home Secretary to examine
the problem of child adoption from the point of view of possible legislation and to
report upon the main provisions which in their view should be included in any Bill
on the subject. The Council on 16th December, 1924, decided to submit evidence
to the departmental committee in support of the proposals in its resolutions of 18th
May, 1920, for the amendment of Part I. (Infant Life Protection) of the Children
Act, 1908. (See Annual Report for 1920., vol. III., p. 113).
Diseases of
animals.
The Diseases of Animals Acts, 1894 to 1922, the object of which is the suppression
of contagious diseases in animals, naturally do not affect London so much as the
country. In London, apart from swine fever, attention is now principally directed
to glanders, anthrax, rabies, parasitic mange and foot and mouth disease, diseases
which are communicable to man. The Acts are supplemented by Orders issued by
the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. During 1924 the incidence of the princ;pal
animal diseases so far as London is concerned was as follows:—Glanders, including
farcy, nil; swine fever, 6 outbreaks in which 30 animals were affected; anthrax,
one outbreak affecting one animal; parasitic mange, 67 outbreaks involving 102
animals; and foot and mouth disease, two outbreaks affecting 39 animals.
Glanders or
farcy.
Glanders is the disease in animals which has caused most trouble and expense
to the Council. The disease is now dealt with under the Glanders or Farcy Order
of 1920, which requires veterinary surgeons, etc., who consider that any horse,
ass or mule is affected with glanders, or was so affected when it died, or was slaughtered,
to notify the local authority. A fee of 2s. 6d. is payable by the local authority to the
person giving such notice. Under the Glanders or Farcy (Metropolitan Police
District) Order, 1911, the Council had powers to destroy nosebags and other stable
material not capable of disinfection. The Order was revoked, but its provisions
were re-enacted in the Glanders Order, 1920, and the powers continue to be fully
utilised after each outbreak. All infected material of this kind is burnt at one of the
knackers' depots at the expense of the Council.
Swine fever.
Swine fever has been very prevalent throughout Great Britain during the past
few years. Six outbreaks were dealt with in London during the year. During
1924 under the Regulation of Movement of Swine Order 17,790 swine were examined
at feeders' premises. There were three infringements of the Swine Fever Order
of 1908 which were dealt with by means of written cautions.
Anthrax.
Anthrax occurs occasionally in London, and so long as fodder is imported 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.
Rabies.
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, 28,761 dogs were
seized by the policc during 1924 and 20,768 were destroyed.
Parasitic
mange.
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 1924,
however, the returns of cases in London showed a considerable decrease and it is a
satisfactory feature that fewer animals were affected in each outbreak than in the
previous year. The following figures relate to 1924:—Outbreaks, 67; horses
affected, 102; infringements, 12; written cautions sent, 6; cases referred to
solicitor, 6; convictions 9; penalties and costs, £46 9s. For the purposes of comparison,
it may be pointed out that the number of outbreaks in 1923 was 128,
affecting 226 horses.