The substantial value to the state represented by its cattle and other animal stock has long ensured that the government made every effort to ensure the health of these assets by preventive and palliative treatments. In Hungary the first local legislation concerning the protection of animals against disease dates from 1859. Law 20 of 1874 established proper veterinary services, providing for compensation in case of the compulsory slaughter of diseased animals, as well as establishing standards and documentation in commercial transactions involving animals.