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162
Glanders.
Swine fever.
Rabies.
l'arasitic
mange.
Foot and
month
disease.
Transit of
animals.
the principal animal diseases, so far as London is concerned, was as follows:
—Glanders, including farcy, nil; swine fever, 7 outbreaks in which 522 animals
were involved; anthrax, nil; parasitic mange, 9 outbreaks in which 41 animals
were affected ; foot and mouth disease, nil.
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries issued an Order, entitled the Glanders
or Farcy Order, 1929, which came into force on 1st September, 1929. The Glanders or
Farcy Order, 1920, is revoked, but its provisions are included in the new Order
with certain amendments and additions, the principal of which are :—(a) the application
of the " Mallein " test for the purpose of diagnosis is made compulsory in
respect of all animals detained under the Order, (6) a post-mortem examination of
the carcass of every diseased animal and every animal slaughtered under the Order
is made obligatory, (c) the final determination of the existence or otherwise of disease
is transferred from the local authority to the chief veterinary officer of the
Ministry, and (d) new rates of compensation are provided for ; the maximum value
placed on a horse being reduced from £100 to £80.
At the request of the Minister a notice drawing the attention of the persons
concerned to the provisions of the new Order was published.
Swine fever has been very prevalent in certain parts of Great Britain during
the past few years, and 7 outbreaks were dealt with in London during 1929. During
the year, 19,596 swine were examined at feeders' premises.
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 Act, 1906, which revoked all then existing muzzling regulations, regulations
requiring the wearing of collars by dogs while on a highway have been made
by the Council. Under these regulations, 22,217 dogs were seized by the police during
1929. Of this number, 8,077 were claimed by their owners and the remainder were
sent to the Dogs' Home for sale or destruction.
Seven cases of suspected rabies in London were reported during the year but
the existence of this disease was not confirmed by the veterinary inspectors, the
suspicious symptoms being proved to arise from other causes.
The conditions under which trade horses are fed and worked in London tend
to encourage the spread of parasitic mange. During 1929 the returns of cases
in London showed a considerable decrease. The following figures relate to 1929:—
Outbreaks, 9 ; horses affected, 41 ; infringements, 2, one of which was dealt with
by means of a written caution and one by the institution of legal proceedings (penalty,
£5).
In consequence of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease at Anerley, Kent,
the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries made an Order on 24th March, 1929,
declaring a district within a radius of 15 miles of the infected place to be an " infected
area " for the purposes of the Foot and Mouth Disease (Infected Areas Restrictions)
Order of 1925. This area included nearly the whole of the County of London. The
infected area in London with the exception of a small part in the south was released
from movement restrictions on 8th April, 1929, and the remainder on 15th April, 1929.
The necessary steps were taken to bring to the notice of the persons concerned the
provisions of the Order of which the effect is to prohibit the movement of animals
out of the infected area and to permit movement within or into such area only under
licence.
There were 16 infringements of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Infected Areas
Restrictions) Order of 1925,15 of which were dealt with by means of written cautions
and one by the institution of legal proceedings (penalty and costs amounting to
£15 Is. were imposed).
To ensure that the requirements of the Orders relating to the transit of
animals are being observed, and that the animals are not caused unnecessary
suffering during transit and are free from signs of disease, the Council's inspectors