Report of Commission on the Cattle Plague / by Andrew Davidson, Secretary to Commission.

  • Andrew Davidson
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of Commission on the Cattle Plague / by Andrew Davidson, Secretary to Commission. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    District of Plainer Williems. Report on Cattle Epidemic 1879. Sanitary Guardian's Office, Plaines Williems, 3rd December 1879. [Report.] The first animals affected in the above District were those of Reunion estate, situated at Yacoa and,belonging to Mr. G. Robinson, on the 17th June 1879. There is but very little doubt in my mind that the, disease was carried from Black River into Plaines Wilhems, by Indians and others moving their cattle during night time by tha mountain passes. These passes in spite of extra surveillance, could nut be sufficiently guarded, and although many persons were apprehended, and severely fined, it did not seem to deter others from committing similar breaches of the Sanitary regulations. Once it broke out in such a populous District, it rapidly spread and with violence (as will be seen from the accompanying notes) from estate to estate and place to place between which there was necessa- rily dally communication. A large number of milch cows have so far escaped ; this 1 fancy is owing to their always being kept in their stalls, and closely watched by their owners, who never allow their cattle to move from their stalls unless they change their residence ; in fact if they intend remaining on any estate or locality for any length to time, they invariably build straw huts over their cows, only leaving a small door-way in order to give them food and to cleanse their huts. The only proprietors who had their cattle inoculated were Messrs. Robinson and Shand, but as will be seen with no success, as out of 178 they saved but 12 (see Return B.) The cattle belonging to the following estates. High- lands, Clairfond, Trianon, Phoenix, and Solferino, were, when the disease broke out, on the pasturage lands of Black River, where I am sorry to have to report mostly all of them died (See Black River Return.) It will be seen on referring to Return B. annexed, that out of 1,596 animals attacked only 330 were saved, which will show with what great rapidity and violence the disease spread, in spite of the endeavours of proprietors to prevent as much as possible, communication between their different estates. Marcus E. BROWNRIGG,