§ MR. LENG (Dundee)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that Dr. Wray, a representative of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry in this country, has disputed the alleged cases of contagious pleuro-pneumonia in American cattle landed at Deptford, and asserts that eminent British authorities agree with him that the animals were only suffering from catarrhal pneumonia, and whether any further information can be given to the House respecting these cases?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. CHAPLIN, Lincolnshire, Sleaford)I am not aware that Dr. Wray, a representative of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry in this country, has disputed the cases of pleuro-pneumonia landed at Deptford, and asserted that eminent British authorities agree with him. I have no information upon the subject beyond an extract from a New York paper, which the hon. Member has been good enough to send me himself. I do not know that I can add anything to what I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Forfarshire a week ago. I may mention perhaps that, in addition to the experts at the Board of Agriculture, the lungs have been seen by Professor Walley and Professor M'Fadyean, both of them being eminent authorities and members of the Edinburgh Veterinary College, and also by Mr. Holmans, an officer of the Board at Deptford, who has had over 30 years' experience of the examination of foreign cattle, and none of these gentlemen, I am informed, have the slightest doubt on the subject.