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Answer.—Mr. Herbert Samuel: I have no complete information on this question,
but I may state that early in 1912 the Medical Officer of Health of the City of London
began to report the occurrence of tuberculosis in Argentine beef examined in the Central
Markets, and, according to information supplied by him, it appears that during 1912,
out of a total of 140,179 tons of Argentine beef received in Smithfield Market,
43 hind-quarters, 8 fore-quarters, and 25 other portions were found tuberculous. In
1913, out of a total of 154,503 tons, 27 hind-quarters and 10 fore-quarters were found to
be affected with tubercle.
In May, 1912, the Medical Officers of Health of the principal meat-importing ports
were asked to report any cases in which they discovered tubercle in any of the
Argentine beef received at their ports. No such discovery has yet been reported.
As a consequence of the reports received from the Medical Officer of Health of the
City, representations were made iu the middle of 1912 by the Board, through the Foreign
Office, to the Argentine Government, with a result that the staff of inspectors in the
Argentine was increased and made more efficient. (10th March, 1914.)
SIBERIAN OX-TONGUES AFFECTED WITH FOOT AND
MOUTH DISEASE.
During the early months of 1913, it was found that certain ox-tongues imported
from Siberia were affected with lesions which were indistinguishable from Foot and
Mouth disease.
Foodstuff so affected could not be permitted to be sold for human consumption,
and in addition there might possibly be some risk of outbreaks arising in this country
from this source unless care were taken to destroy the infective material.
These tongues come into this country in a frozen condition packed in small cases,
and it was necessary for each tongue to be partially thawed and so softened before
adequate inspection could take place. The following figures indicate the additional
labour in which this work involved your inspectors. The number of tongues examined
was 98,345, number passed 93,081, number rejected 5,264, or 5.6 per cent.
Of the rejected tongues 1,025 showed acute lesions, 3,577 showed healed lesions
and old cicatrices, whilst in 662 instances the lesions might possibly have been traumatic
stomatitis.
The attention of the Local Government Board was directed to the circumstances,
and a representative of the importing firm in this country was interviewed.
At once the firm sent over a representative to Russia to supervise the packing of
these tongues, and to undertake the sorting of them before they were packed.
A considerably decreased number of affected tongues reaching this country resulted
from this action, and I understand that the firm will adopt every safeguard for the next
season.
The Board of Agriculture was notified of the occurrence, and subsequently an order
of the Board, dated 15th April, 1913, was issued which requires that any box, case or
other receptacle and any packing material in which are packed raw bovine tongues,
should be brought into Great Britain from any country other than the United States of