PREVENTION OF PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 185 



subject appeared to subside as a story that lias been told. In 

 the "Veterinarian" for January 1870, the question is thus 

 alluded to in the leadiuGj article : — 



" Mr Priestman has been very successful m arresting the 

 course of the disease by the use of carbolic acid ; and, we 

 believe, prefers it to inoculation, which he at one time 

 extensively practised." 



The proposed experiments for testino; the use of inocula- 

 tion in Norfolk,* were carried out by Mr Smith, M.E.C.V.S., 

 in ^N'ovember 1869, and his report, which contains, among others, 

 some useful memoranda. The results are similar to those 

 already arrived at by other persons and commissions, and 

 incontestably proves that some preservative influence is con- 

 ferred by inoculation, that animals contract pleuro-pneumonia 

 after it, and that no true disease as pleuro-pneumonia is pro- 

 duced by the operation. Mr Smith inoculated 87 animals ; 12 

 were afterwards attacked with pleuro-pneumonia, of which 9 

 were slaughtered, 3 recovered wholly or partially, and 75 

 remained healthy and well. In conclusion the reporter adds : — 

 " I do not attach much importance to the experiments. They 

 are, in my opinion, insufficient and incomplete. I think, how- 

 ever, they incontestably demonstrate two facts : — First, that 

 pleuro-pneumonia inoculation, when scientifically performed, 

 is a harmless operation, and not likely to cause an extension of 

 the disease, and that the loss of animals' tails and other unto- 

 ward effects, when they occur, are produced by the ignorance and 

 want of skill of the inoculator ; Secondly, that it differs in most 

 essential points from the conditions induced by inoculations in 

 other contagious diseases, such as small-pox or cattle plague. In 

 the inoculation for pleuro-pneumonia we have a total absence 

 of the manifestations apparent in other inoculations." 



In the "Veterinarian" 1870, page 384, under the head "Pleuro- 

 pneumonia," we are informed that " Many fresh outbreaks have 

 also occurred in the London dairies, both among cows \vliich%ave 

 been inoculated as well as those which have not been subjected 

 to this operation." In the same journal, p. 928, referring to 

 December 1870, pleuro-pneumonia is said to have suffered a 

 slight decrease since the previous month, twenty counties of 

 England and nine of Scotland being still contaminated. " In the 

 Metropolis there are many cases of the disease, and some of the 

 dairymen are adopting the plan of clearing out all their old stock 

 upon the occurrence of a case, by sending the animals to the 

 butcher, and not making new purchases from the country until 

 their premises had been thoroughly disinfected." 



Coming to the present time, October 1875, official returns 

 inform us that pleuro-pneumonia still maintains its usual degree 

 * Report to Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture. 



