Carriers In the course of the grievous spread of foot-and-mouth
disease on the Continent and in Britain, various theorists have brought charges against various animals : crows and rooks, starlings, rats, mice and flies. There seems to be some slight evidence from the Continent of the association of particular flies with the outbreak of the malady. The case against the birds has been strengthened in England by the geography of the present outbreak, which first appeared and has continued to appear in those easterly parts of England where the greater number of winter migrants land ; and starlings, which are much the most numerous, are particular frequenters of stock farms. There exists no direct evidence against any animal or, indeed, in favour of any theory whatsoever. Packing-straw and even Argentine meat have been accused. The wind is another possible carrier. The subtlety of the infection, which defies the finest filters of the laboratories, has so far evaded all detection. Like the common cold it leaves the doctors helpless. Statistically, the most promising line of research is suggested by the fact that Britain had a clean bill of health in this regard during the War, when traffic in certain substances, including artificial manures, was quite cut off. That the present outbreaks are due to infection corning from the Continent seems to be tolerably certain.
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