§ MR. C. A. WHITMORE (Chelsea)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can state what progress has been made with the extirpation of rabies in England since the muzzling orders have been imposed and enforced by the Board of Agriculture, and not by the local authorities?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTUREThe number of cases of rabies in dogs in Great Britain was 438 in 1896, and 151 last year, when our operations began. The figures during the four quarters of the year 1897 have been 48, 42,40, and 21, and during the first seven weeks of the current year only five cases are known to have occurred. The first of the series of muzzling orders which we have imposed took effect as from the 6th April last, so that we have every reason to be satisfied with the progress we have made towards the eradication of rabies in this country.