of the other 8. The provincial veterinary surgeons have the superintendence of
the veterinary service, each in his own district. The duties of the provincial
veterinary surgeons are given in the above-mentioned instructions for veterinary
surgeons. The provincial veterinary surgeons are paid by the State. The salary
amounts to 1 500 kronor per annum, and the service-pay to 1 000 kronor
per annum. After 5 years’ service, the salary can be increased by 500
kronor, and after 10 years’ by an additional 500 kronor. The pension of a
provincial veterinary surgeon amounts to 2 500 kronor per annum and begins
on his reaching 65 years of age and completing 25 years of service.
In Sweden there are also 182 district veterinary surgeon districts, to which
the State, in accordance with the decision of the Riksdag of 1912, contributes
600 kronor per annum towards the remuneration of each district veterinary
surgeon, in addition to 200 kronor increase after the completion of 5 years’
service. This is given on condition that the respective County Councils engage
to pay the district veterinary surgeons not less than 1 200 kronor a year, with
an extra 200 kronor per annum to those that have completed the necessary term
of service.
In a great number of towns there are also appointed one or more town veterinary
surgeons, whose principal task is to inspect meat offered for sale and
to see that the statute of public health are observed in such matters as concern
the keeping of cattle in towns, etc. Among the town veterinary surgeons may
also be reckoned the veterinary directors and the other veterinary officials at
the public slaughter-houses and at the public cattle-markets.
For the purpose of inspecting the health of the cattle imported into Sweden,
the Royal Medical Board has appointed quarantine-veterinary surgeons, stationed
at a number of ports where there exist quarantine sheds for cattle. The export
inspection veterinary surgeons appointed by the same authority have the task of
seeing that no cattle which are diseased or otherwise unfit for export from
Sweden are allowed to leave the country.
In addition to these officials, there are 6 civil veterinary stipendiaries, appointed
by the Royal Medical Board, whose task it is to assist that body in combating
any cattle-disease that may happen to break out. The total number of
veterinary surgeons in Sweden at the close of 1914 amounted to 428.
The principal tasks of the State Veterinary Service are:
1) To combat infectious cattle-diseases with the exception of tuberculosis
in Sweden. The legal measures that can be taken in this respect are regulated
principally by the Royal Ordinance of December 9, 1898 — with the alterations
made therein by the Royal Proclamations dated March 1, 1903, and November
3, 1906 — ; the Royal Proclamation of November_3, 1906, respecting swine-
fever, swine-plague, and swine-eraysipelas, and that of September 28, 1906,
respecting the measures to be taken against chicken-plague and chicken-cholera.
2) To combat cattle-tuberculosis. The present existing struggle against cattle-
tuberculosis in Sweden dates from the beginning of the “nineties”, or the time
when Koch’s tuberculine was proved to be a reliable means of discovering this
disease at its very onset. Since that time, an energetic and clear-sighted struggle
for the eradication of this plague of the farm-yard has been carried on in Sweden.
This work has principally been based-on the detection of the existence of
the disease, this being done by means of the so-called tuberculine tests, but
steps have also been taken to protect the growing generations of cattle from infection.
This struggle has been supported by State grants, which, for the year
1913, were estimated to amount to 90 000 kronor; and, as stated above, it has
been directed by the Board of Agriculture.
The Royal Medical Board, in accordance with the Royal Ordinance of May 1,
1903, has been entrusted with the task of superintending the struggle against
that form of cattle-tuberculosis which is shown by morbid changes in the udders
of milch cows, "i. e., the so-called mammitis-tUberculosis. In 1911 there were
killed 224 animals affected with mammitis-tuberculosis, the owners receiving a
total sum of 26 578-io kronor, in compensation; or an average of 118'63 kronor,
per head.
3) The superintendence of the import and export of cattle and certain wares.
The geographically isolated position of Sweden has had the result that the
country, on the whole, has been spared serious outbreaks of cattle-diseases. As,
in the very great majority of cases, the infection cannot be communicated otherwise
than by means of animals ■—■ the general case — or by certain wares,
there exist exceedingly strict rules regulating the import of cattle and the wares
in question. For example, on the outbreak of any serious cattle-epidemic abroad,
all import of cattle from the countries affected is forbidden. The principal regulations
in force in this connection are the Royal Ordinances of February 4, 1898;
of December 9, 1898; of September'28, 1906; of July 13, 1909; of June 22,
1911; of January 19, 1912 — two rescripts — and of March 19, 1912.
It is of the greatest importance, too, for the maintenance of the reputation
of Sweden as a cattle- and meat-exporting country, to. see that no animals or
meat is sent abroad that can give rise to justifiable complaints in the importing
countries. In consequence, as has been mentioned above, strict regulations
have been issued respecting the control of the export of cattle and meat;
they are found principally in the Royal Ordinances dated November 29,
.1906; January 29, 1909; July 13, 1909, and December 6, 1912.
4) To inspect the articles of food offered for sale in Sweden. This is regulated
by the statute of public, health for the whole country, dated September 25,
1874, the law of December 22, 1897 — revised by the Riksdag in 1913 S i l
the Royal Proclamation dated December 31, 1897, and the Proclamation of the
Royal Medical Board dated November 2, 1911.
The above is merely a brief account of the present condition of the Swedish
veterinary service. Those interested in the matter are referred to Kjerrulf and
Regner: “Collection of Statutes, etc., respecting the civil veterinary system in
Sweden” (Forfattningar ni. m. ang. det civila veterinarvasendet i Sverige, Stockholm,
1912), or Kjerrulf and Ringdahl “The civil veterinary service in Sweden”
(Det civila veterinarvasendet i Sverige), Stockholm 1910.
Agricultural Credit Establishments.
The Palmstruch Bank, the oldest in Sweden, obtained in 1656 the royal
privilege to advance money on “palaces, estates, land, fields and meadows,
etc.” The Bank of Sweden (Sveriges Riksbank), founded in 1668 — its
predecessor, the Palmstruch bank, having ceased to exist, — undertook
loans on security of landed property.
At the beginning, loans were advanced for short periods but they gradually
developed into standing ones. Hence, , the funds'of the .Bank came to-be locked
up to far too large- ant extent. In order to facilitate the banking business without
considerable-prejudice-to agriculture, the “Secret Committee”'o f the Riksdag, in
1752, decreed that a yearly instalment of capital should be paid in the case
of loans of ten years’ standing. A system of amortization was hereby established,
which in 1779 became law, with the decree of a general reduction of
per annum, until the whole debt was paid off. This remained in force
till 1859, when the amortization payment was increased to 3 % per annum.
At first, the interest was 8 %, but fell in 1687 to 6 % In 1741, the interest