1 72 ON INOCULATION AS A MEANS FOR THE 



exudative pleuro-pueumonia. That the two affections may 

 exist together in the same individual, and that considerable 

 derangements are manifested in the inoculated part, whilst the 

 morbid action of the lungs progresses towards a fatal termina- 

 tion. As to the ascertaining whether inoculation reallv 

 possesses a preservative power, and if so, in what proportion, 

 and for what length of time it imparts immunity to the animals 

 subjected to it, these are questions which can only be solved 

 by further experience. 



"Eead and approved at a meeting of the commission. Present — 



M. VeeSezeu, President. 



Bellefroid. Deuterluigne. ' 



Gluge. Sauveur. > Blenibcrs. 



Theis. Thiernesse. 



Fallot. | Delegates from the Eoyal 



Marinus. J Academy of Medicine. 



•' Bkussels, Qth Fehruanj 1853." 



Prior to the issue of this report Dr Willems had addressed 

 the Central Society of France, and the memoir was given in 

 extenso in the " Keceuil de Med Vet," the editor of which 

 adds : — " That notwithstanding, the facts published in it have 

 need of vigour and j)recision ; that the conclusions adduced from 

 them have the appearance of being rather hasty, and not suffi- 

 ciently indicated by their premises." 



The Dutch commission issued two reports on 21st September 

 and 28th December 1852 respectively, their conclusions being 

 drawn up in no less than 13 somewhat lengthy propositions. 

 The only important ones calling for notice are the 11th, 12th, 

 and 13th. Eeferring to the commencement of the disease after 

 inoculation, it is " ascribed to its having been in existence at 

 the time of inoculation." 



Paragraph 12 asserts that in animals having had the disease, 

 inoculation remains inoperative, and they rarely, if ever, become 

 affected a second time. This contends for a preservative 

 influence conferred by the disease, which is a contradiction to 

 the preceding paragraph. If the real disease is produced by 

 inoculation, as asserted, althongh localised, it should suffer 

 mitigation and localisation if already present within the system, 

 while at the same time it affords no limit as to the incubative 

 stage of the disease. 



In paragraph 13 we are informed " that inoculation possesses 

 the power, at least temporarily, to prevent infection, [but] it 

 remains uncertain how far disposition for the disease is com- 

 pletely, or only for a longer period, destroyed." Here we are 

 informed the preservative influence of the disease is only 

 temporary, a decided contradiction of the 1 1th paragraph ; and 



