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47
producing the condition. In addition to the inspection of the
cows at frequent intervals (or if that valuable measure cannot
be put into operation, then in default of it), it would be a great
gain if the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis
were given legal expression to. I refer to the recommendation
that notification of every disease in the udder
should be made compulsory (under penalty) on the owners of
all cows.
Report on the Outbreak of 1894, taken from the Report
Presented to the Finchley Local Board of that Year.
"A marked epidemic of throat-illness made its first appearance
on the 8th and 9th of November, 1894. Although the
weather during the preceding fortnight was such as would in
itself account for many so-called "sore throats," there w as much
in the appearance of the throats in question and in the rapid
onset of acute symptoms, as well as in the course that the
disease ran, to stamp them as something more than simple
catarrhal conditions. Further, these particular cases of throat
affection appeared to possess the property of infectiousness.
There were several houses in which the complaint cropped up
among as many as 4 or 5 members of the same household, in
succession, under conditions that strongly supported the probability
of spread from case to case.
"There was no question of the undoubted fact that in its
origin the disease assumed the characters of a true epidemic;
for 16 cases occurred suddenly within 12 hours.
"One significant fact in connection with the outbreak
was the grouping of those initial cases in and around Hendon
Lane. Subsequent to November 11th information of fresh