§ MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has considered the circumstances disclosed at the inquest held on May 20th on George Charles Nichols, a horsekeeper of the Andrew Star Omnibus Company, Fulham, who was found to have died of acute glanders, and, further, the recommendation of the jury that veterinary inspectors ought to have power to compulsorily apply the Mallein test to in-contact animals with a view to stamp out this disease; whether he is aware that in one London hospital only no less than seven similar fatal cases to man have been diagnosed; whether he is aware that out of sixteen recently purchased Australian horses in the same omnibus stud twelve have been found to have glanders; and whether, having regard to these circumstances, he will take the necessary steps to have the Mallein test compulsorily applied to all in-contact animals in case of outbreaks of glanders, and to provide a full veterinary inspection and the application of the Mallein test in the case of horses imported from Australia or any country in which glanders is prevalent or suspected.
† See (4) Debates, cxlii., 575.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. AILWYN FELLOWES, Huntingdonshire, Ramsey)I have received from the London County Council full information as to the results of their inquiries into the regrettable circumstances to which the hon. Member refers. Although it is a fact that the horses reacting to the Mallein test in this case were of Australian, origin, it is not by any means clear that the horses were affected with glanders when imported, and it seems on the whole more likely that they contracted the disease since their purchase in London in January last. The desirability of amending the Glanders Order in the direction indicated is a subject which is receiving my careful consideration, but there are difficulties, both administrative and financial, in the way of the compulsory adoption of the Mallein test in connection with outbreaks of glanders which I have not so far seen my way to overcome. I am at the same time making inquiries with a view to deciding whether any action can usefully be taken in the direction of controlling the importation of horses into this country. I have not before me the information referred to by the hon. Member with regard to one of the London hospitals, but the London County Council have been good enough to inform me that during the last five years twelve cases of human deaths from glanders have been brought to their notice, in six of which a connection was traced to outbreaks of that disease in horses.
§ MR. CHANNINGI shall put another Question on this subject.