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Not only the health of the cows, but the sanitary state
of the surroundings of the dairy require minute attention.
It appears to me, therefore, important that some standard
rules should be adopted as to the kind of buildings appropriated
for cow-houses and dairies 5 their cubic contents, ventilation,
paving, drainage, water supply, situation, proximity
to each other, and to dwelling-houses; rules as to washing,
as to the daily removal of excrementitious matter, &c., should
be laid down by the Board for the guidance of its officers and
the Licencing Magistrates.
Cattle Plague.
1866.—Cattle plague appeared in this country in a dairy
at Lambeth on 24th June, 1865, and on the 27th in ten
dairies in Islington and Hackney. The extent of the ravages
of the plague is imperfectly known, from the desire of cowkeepers
to conceal their losses.
There is difficulty in impressing farmers with the
necessity of improving the condition of the cattle. But this
plague originates amongst cattle badly kept; and it is most
important to prevent any liability to contagion by preventing
cattle, horses, and yards from being filthily kept and affording
any ingress to disease.
In this district the plague fell heavily upon cattle kept
in foul yards and dirty ill-ventilated cowhouses.
Papers were printed and circulated by me during the
plague, containing directions for the treatment, preventive
and curative, of the epidemic, and, where those remedies were
systematically tried, were in many cases very successful. I11
the neighbourhood of Carlisle this treatment appears to have
been very beneficial.
Destroy decomposition by disinfectants.
Prevent overcrowding.
Secure ventilation.
Use strict and constant cleanliness.
Give pure, nutritious food.
Give pure water to drink.