Foot and Mouth Disease. -Cases of this disease were met with, but as men- tioned in former reports, Chinese cattle suffer from it in an exceedingly mild form, so mild that many cases must escape notice. Even very young calves, amongst which in Britain the disease is very often fatal show little or no systemic disturbance and exhibit only a few lesions on the tongue. I have failed to find the foot lesions peculiar to this disease in purely native animals.
Tuberculosis.-Only one case of this disease was met with in the Abattoirs and that was in a European cow. The disease was so widespread as to entail the the destruction of the entire carcase. The immunity which Chinese cattle show to this disease may be due to their entirely open air life.
Trichinosis.--In view of the large amount of pork used for food, I began to examine the swine for Trichinosis. At the close of the year, 23 pigs had been examined with a negative result. This is so far satisfactory though the number examined is too small to enable any definite statement to be made as to the prevalence or otherwise of this disease. I hope to be able to continue the ex- aminations during 1905.
Hæmorrhagic Septicemia.-A report on this disease has already been sub- mitted to Government by the Government Bacteriologist and myself. There were no cases since the publication of that report.
JL.
Disease among Goats.-In September a disease appeared among a lot of goats housed at Kennedy Town. The disease was very fatal and was characterised by a high temperature, diarrhoea of a dysenteric nature, and rapid emaciation. Exami- nation showed the presence in the blood and tissues of an organism resembling morphologically that found in Hæmorrhagic Septicemia of cattle.
It may be a significant fact that the most common and fatal diseases of fowls, cattle, and goats met with in the Colony are due to micro-organisms closely allied, morphologically, to that found in human and rat plague.
Intestinal Parasites.-These continue to be frequently met with in the Slaugh- ter-houses. The Distoma Hepaticum or liver fluke is the commonest, the Amphi- stoma Conicum, a small trematode of the rumen of the ox, is also very abundant, and several varieties of Ascarides, round worms, are of frequent occurrence in the intes- tines of the pig.
The total number of cattle dealt with at Kennedy Town was 58,405, an in- crease on the previous year of 712. Hung Hom Depôt admitted 5,611, a decrease on the previous year of 586. This gives an increase over all of cattle admitted to Government Depôts during 1904 of 126. At Kennedy Town 499 cattle were rejected as unfit for slaughter for food as against 37 in 1903. At Hung Hom 34 were rejected as unfit against 406 of the former year. Emaciation is the chief cause of rejection.
Kennedy Town admitted 35,352 sheep and goats, an increase on the previous year of 942. There was a decrease in the number of swine admitted, 167,104 against 169,017 in 1903. The highest total ever attained for pigs at Kennedy Town was reached in 1902 when 202,495 were admitted.
BUILDINGS.
A second section of new Cattle Sheds was commenced in October, 1903, and was finished and occupied on the 18th February, 1904.
The extension to the Quarters of the Inspector in Charge was finished and handed over on 25th April, 1904.
Additions to the quarters of the scavenging coolies and a new fodder shed were commenced in March and occupied in May.
CATTLE CREMATORIUM.
The Cattle Crematorium has been in use throughout the year and has given satisfaction; all dead animals are now cremated there from the Depôts and also dead pigs, &c., from ships coming into the harbour so that the old nuisance of digging up buried carcases has now disappeared..
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