COUNTY ADMINISTRATION: DISEASES OF ANIMALS

The series MA/MD/M contains a variety of papers concerned with the control of animal diseases including orders to pay compensation, committee papers, valuations, reports and returns and other statistics; The series MA/MD/A contains the inspectors' accounts; and the series MA/MD/R are returns and declarations. The papers of a committee of justices looking at the control of animal diseases may be found in the series MA/C/MD (1869 - 1889); details of Inspectors' expenses are among the main county financial records in MF

The material is arranged in three series - MA/MD/M/001 - 009 (1873 - 1889); MA/MD/A/001 - 039 (1871 - 1876); and MA/MD/R/001 - 127 (1871 - 1883)

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 2018

The Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act was passed in 1869 to consolidate all previous Acts for preventing the introduction, or controlling the spread, of infectious and contagious diseases among cattle and other animals in Britain. Every local authority was to appoint veterinary inspectors and officers whose job was to assess and investigate cases and report back to the Privy Council. The local authority could also appoint an executive committee of its own members, or of local rated residents, to ensure that the measures were carried out in the district. The county (outside the metropolitan area within the City), was divided into seven numbered districts, and a qualified veterinary inspector assigned to each. In the period covered by these records the inspectors for each district were Inspector Hirst (Barnet); Inspector Stanley (Edmonton); Inspectors Offer and Leggett (Edgware); Inspector Hancock (Uxbridge); Inspector Legg (Hanwell); Inspector Boughton (Staines); and Inspector Hinge (Hounslow). Inspectors were paid mileage of sixpence a mile and other expenses. Slaughtered animals were valued by an assessor who was paid a fee and mileage. Once an Inspector received notice of, or suspected, an outbreak of cattle plague, pleuropneumonia or sheep pox, he had to go the place in question and assess whether disease was present. If there was, he made a formal declaration (on a blue form) to the local authority, and issued a notice to the occupier of the affected premises that the latter and surrounding lands within a mile radius were designated infectious, until declared free by the local authority, and reciting the restrictions on the movement of diseased animals. Infected premises were to be disinfected and diseased animals buried as quickly as possible after slaughter. Animals suffering from cattle plague were to be slaughtered and any others in the same shed if the local authority so ordered. The local authority would pay compensation not exceeding twenty pounds or up to half of the animals value. Further returns were made each week (on a red form) until the area was declared free from infection. Another Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act was passed in 1878, with measures aimed at specific diseases. With cattle plague the inspector was to send a copy of the declaration to the Privy Council which would inquire into its validity and cause to be slaughtered any animals found suffering and any others in the same herd. Similar provisions were laid down for pleuropneumonia but dealt with by the local authority; diseased animals must be slaughtered and those in the same shed possibly also; compensation equal to three quarters of value and not exceeding thirty pounds would be paid. Again, similar provisions for Foot and Mouth applied although slaughter may not be necessary. The Privy Council also had the power to order the registration of dairymen and the inspection of dairies