Major-General Sir CECIL LOWTHERasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to numerous authenticated cures of foot-and-mouth disease effected in France and Holland by Van den Berg's remedy; and whether he will have experiments carried out in England?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe attention of the Ministry has been drawn to many alleged cures for foot-and-mouth disease in France and Holland, including the one in question, but in view of the fact that foot-and-mouth disease is widespread and epidemic in those countries, the fact that none of them have been generally adopted is evidence that their efficacy has not been as yet substantiated. With regard to the latter part of the question, as I have already stated, I am proposing to invite international co-operation in an inquiry on the subject. The Ministry cannot undertake the examination of alleged cures for foot-and-mouth disease, as this would entail the seconding of a large number of the Ministry's veterinary staff, who would otherwise be engaged on control measures elsewhere, and the maintenance far long periods of centres of infection for the purpose of the tests.
§ Mr. W. SHAWasked the Minister of Agriculture what extra precautions, if any, his Department took to avoid the risk of cattle infected with foot-and-mouth disease coming to this country from those lawless parts of Ireland where the King's authority was not properly upheld and where proper inspection of animals was an impossibility?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe Ministry has no evidence to show that foot-and-mouth disease exists or has recently existed in Ireland. Before the present outbreak of disease in Great Britain, cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats shipped from Ireland to Great Britain could only be landed at certain defined landing places, where they were subjected to detention for a short period (a minimum of 10 hours) and to a close examination by veterinary inspect- 1225W tors of the Ministry. In no case has foot-and-mouth disease been discovered amongst animals in the landing places since April last year. If the disease existed in Ireland it is unlikely that no cases would have appeared in any of the landing places whilst the animals were detained there. At the present time, owing to the restrictions in connection with the present outbreak no animals can be landed from Ireland except for slaughter at the port of landing.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that there was a very serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States of America in 1915; and what steps the United States Government took to stamp it out and with what result?
Sir A. BOSCAWENYes, Sir. The outbreak in question occurred in October, 1914, and the.disease was not finally eradicated until May, 1916. The Federal Government of the United States in co-operation with the States Authorities at once adopted the policy of slaughter of all affected cattle and all contacts with payment of compensation at their appraised value, followed by the thorough disinfection of all infected premises. In all 77,240 cattle, 9,676 sheep, 85,092 pigs and 123 goats were slaughtered. The total cost involved in eradicating the disease was estimated at approximately £1,875,000.
§ Major WHELERasked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that in several cases very considerable periods have elapsed between the date of actual slaughter of animals infected with the foot-and-mouth disease and the date on which the slaughter was ordered; and whether, if this delay is due to the lack of qualified officials from the Ministry of Agriculture to supervise the slaughter of the animals and destruction of the car-cases, he will authorise qualified veterinary surgeons locally to act in such matters?
Sir A. BOSCAWENYes, Sir. Some delay has occurred in the slaughter of cattle in certain outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in districts in which outbreaks have been numerous, and it has been due in most cases to difficulty in obtaining the services of slaughtermen. In other cases rains and floods have occasioned the delay. The Animals Branch1226W of the Ministry has been temporarily reinforced by 119 inspectors, 72 of whom are veterinary surgeons. It is not advisable to employ the part-time assistance of local veterinary surgeons engaged in private practice, since owing to the highly infectious nature of the disease they might carry the contagion to healthy stock in the course of their practice.