§ MR. JAMES HOWARDasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in reference to the bull bought by Lord Carbery from the herd of the Rev. T. Stainforth, of Stores Hall, Win lermere, and imported into Ireland on 17th January, 1883, Whether there was any ground for the statement which appeared in The Irish Farmers' Gazette of 3rd February, 1883, to the effect that Professor Ferguson, of the Irish Privy Council Veterinary Department, had reported the illness of the bull to be a true case of foot-and-mouth disease; whether he will also state how far the next animals attacked with foot-and-mouth disease were from the stable in which the bull is reported to have been isolated; how many days the bull remained in Liverpool en route; and, how long his quarantine in Dublin lasted?
§ MR. TREVELYAN, in reply, said, that on January 22nd Professor Ferguson reported that the animal in question was suffering from foot-and-mouth disease. It was kept perfectly isolated, and disinfection was thoroughly carried out. The animals next attacked were two miles from its stable. The bull had remained in Liverpool from the 6th till the 8th January. During this time it was twice inspected and certified free from disease. Quarantine at Dublin lasted until the 22nd February. The animal was certified to have recovered on the 10th. It was not removed from the place of quarantine until March 2nd.
§ MR. J. HOWARDasked whether the right hon. Gentleman's opinion that the disease was brought to Ireland by drovers was based on evidence?
§ MR. TREVELYAN, in reply, said, that there could be no doubt of it. The first outbreak in Ireland occurred on February 5th, 1883, in three different places in Dublin, amongst cattle belonging to the same person. The cattle were purchased on Thursday, 1st February, in the Dublin market, and while there had been in contact with persons who had come from markets in Lancashire where cases of foot-and-mouth disease had been found. There was no other probable cause of the outbreak. Lord Carbery's bull could not have 1846 come into contact with animals in the Dublin market. The bull was from the date of his arrival, January 17th, kept in an isolated stable, and the attendant and the veterinary surgeon in charge were the only persons who had access to the bull, and both were duly disinfected.