42 rilOCEEDINGS AT CE^^':KAL I^IKKTINGS. 



• I liavf stated that this exmhiti' was scarcely ol)scrvnl)h> in a few cases, in a few 

 otlitTs it could not l>c seen at all ; and this, I think, exiijains the discre])acy on this 

 head found in the writings of others who have studied this disease, some stating there 

 is an increase of tlie spinal liuid, meaning the exudate, 1 suppose, wliiist others state 

 they have never seen this coiulition." 



l''roni his exannuatioii of a huge nund)er of cases, Professor Will iaTus was led to form 

 the ojiinion that the disease was due "to tlie injection of grasses in a diseased condition 

 from the invasion of various fungi." 



'riu' exmlate was also observed hy l)r. Aitken, who was led early in the inquiry to 

 think that the cause of disease woidd he found due to eitlier the direct or indirect 

 action of a germ poison, and that its locus was jtrobably in the tissue of the cord, and 

 most iirohahly in tlie ccrehro-spinal lluid. and he deternuned to work npon this theory. 

 He made preparations of the exudate and other tissiu's of the spine, and these are now 

 being cxannned. He lias also been so fortunate as to secure the co-operation of Dr. 

 D. J. Hauiilton, and they " deternuned to work njion the theory of n special germ in 

 the cerebro-spinal lluid," should any cases be found in Skye. 



The exjtedition to Skye in September was undertaken because your comnutteo were 

 informed there was generally an autunui outbreak of " tremt)ling " on certain farms, 

 and it was important to identify " loupingill " and '' trembling" beyond a doubt, and 

 alsti to eom])are the vegetation witli tlie districts already visited. 



The results were not altogether satisfactory ; only one case, a land), was obtained, 

 and in Professor Williams' opinion \\\i} ptK'it-iitnrdiii exanunation only gave negative 

 evidence as to the true nature of the case. As, however, it appeared to Pr. Aitken 

 and Dr. Hamilton to have all the distinctive appearances of " loui>ing-ill," they made 

 a careful diagnosis of the ease. 



'' The liimi h'gs were j^aralysed to some extent, the pulse was 104", and the tenij>era- 

 ture 10d~ K. The respirations were 30 per minute, anti somewhat irregular. 



" Having the means of testing the germ theory all ])rovided, the animal was killed and 

 cidtivatioiis wei-e attempted with the blood, aqueous humor, and cerebro-spinal lluid. 

 After twelve iiours in the warm chamber, the blood and aqueous luunor renuiined 

 inactive, but tlie eerebro spinal lluid was found to be cultivating vigorously. Specimens 

 were taken of the germs, and drawings made of the eultiuv. They resend)led closely 

 the germs found in chicken cholera. 



"A second cultivation was inunediately set agoing, but owing to tlie dillicidty of 

 maintaining a proper li'mi>craturi' in the chamber, during the changes of external tem- 

 perature, the cultures were for two hours subjected to a tem[)erature of 110" to llti" 

 Fahr., and the growth came to an end. The results obtained were very encouraging, 

 and pointed to the correctness of the germ theory." 



Pr. .'\itken is therefore still strongly in favour of this thcoiy ; " and as experience 

 and ilexterity and a }>roper knowledge of the best conditions for culture are necessary 

 to ensui-e success in that kind of investigation, I have determined," he writes, ** to 

 practise cultivation of variinis secretions and discharges during the winter, so as to be 

 able to apply the jirocess more successfully next s]>ring. " 



Jxixies (ticks.)— In addition to the two s[)ecies iilentitied in the Teviotdale report aR 

 /. inaiyinata and /. (•rimivt'us, a smaller species was si'cn on several farms visited, 

 chielly about the noses of the sheep. A still smaller sjiecies of Arichnoid, closely re- 

 sembling Ixotles, was also found in large nundiers early in the season amongst speci- 

 mens y^i withered Xardas s(n\((t, but neitlu'r of these have as yet been itlentitied. 



It is clear that the large quantities of rank and withered grass atVord cover for ticks ; 

 and as they are only found, as tar as experience goes, in those places liable to the dis- 

 ease, those farms in U]>per Kskdale Muir, for instance, which are free from the disease, 

 are also free from ticks, the natural inference is, that there must be some connectioi), 

 though on the other hand many sheep may be covered with them without having the 

 disease. Possit)ly they may be mere concomitants, but it is also quite jnissible that 

 they may be the carriers ol some virus. 



iVofessor Williams is (juite of this opinion, bearing out also that expressed hy Pi-o- 

 fessor Ivobertson in the Teviotdale rejiort — " That it seems to be more in accordance 

 with our ])resent knowle Ige of morbid processes in animal bodies, that it (the tick) 

 should be reganled rather as the carrier of a sitecitic blood ])oison than as the active 

 agent in a general or special spinal disturbance from ]ieripheral nerve irritation." 



The work already done by those intrusted with the investigation has necessarily been 

 hitherto of a preliminary kind, the very diverse and contlieting views entertained by 

 farmers regarding the nature and cause of the disease has retpiired that their observa- 

 tions shouhl extend over a wide area ; and this has entailed an amount of expense 

 which will not require to be re]H'ated. 



The result of their inquiries lias been to bring the investigation within certain narrow 

 limits, so that they will now be able to proceed with the tliorough examination of tlie 

 nature and cause of the disease when it makes its appearance next spring. It would bo 

 premature at this stage, or until the real causes havf been ascertained beyond tloubt. 



