17 FEBRUARY 1866, Page 1

There is one very gross defect in this bit of

panic legislation. It does not even leave open the possibility of any further study of the disease and its treatment. It is imperative on the local authorities to order the destruction of a diseased beast. 's No ex- ception is made, no hospitals are provided, no one is allowed even to try remedial measures. To conceal a beast's illness is to incur a penalty of 201., to report its illness is to render it the duty of the local authority to destroy it immediately. Hence, for the chance of stamping the disease out, we are going deliberately to sacrifice every chance of learning to understand and cure it.