EPITOME OF EVIDENCE ON PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 261 



two COWS killed, and these young animals were all inoculated at 

 that time. None of them have shown any sjmaptoms in the least. 

 The inoculation protected them. If -there had been any infection 

 to be got we hold that inoculation prevented it. Mr Rutherford, 

 who inoculated the 32, thought them not safe, and that was 

 why he inoculated them. They were all free from pleuro- 

 pneumonia at that time. If the smallest disease is begun, 

 the inoculation will not stop it, but it prevents it spreading. 

 None of these 32 were killed, and never were affected with pleuro. 

 The total number that we had slaughtered in the county up 

 till then was 83. The compensation for cattle slaughtered 

 amounted to £760, 14s. Id. That was when our policy was for 

 inoculating. Then there was the compensation for animals 

 slaughtered, for being in contact. That amounted to £37, 9s. — 

 the whole amounting to £798, 3s. Id. Now, to show the 

 difference when the policy was changed by the Privy Council, 

 so that you are not to inoculate. You were to kill everything 

 that was in contact, and we have been doing that for some 

 time past ; as to those in contact, where we had only four 

 before, there are now 117. The compensation for cattle 

 slaughtered, being affected, was £519, 2s. under the new 

 system ; but the compensation for slaughtering cattle in con- 

 tact was £1126, 7s. 9d., in place of £37, 9s. before. The 

 total cost under the new policy is £1645, 9s. 9d., in place of 

 £798, 3s. Id. under the other. When we inoculated, there were 

 only four in contact that had been diseased. But when we 

 slaughtered, the 117 in contact might not be; nevertheless, 

 we were obliged to slaughter them, on account of the policy then 

 carried out. We were not now allowed to inoculate, — at least 

 I reasoned in that way. We had to kill everything ; for I under- 

 stood that it was according to the Privy Council orders that we 

 were not to inoculate. A fanner at Scotstovm, near Montrose, 

 came to us with regard to the subject of contact. Suppose, he 

 said, a diseased cow in the b3a'e, and near the court into which 

 all the droppings of the byre are put, — would the Privy Council 

 look upon that as being in contact and so have the animals all 

 killed ? We read it, that the droppings, if put into the court, 

 would cause infection. According to my view, that is destroying 

 a lot of animals that have no disease about them. I think it is 

 cruelty to animals to go on destroying them. There is no doubt 

 that central marts have been the means of spreading the disease 

 so far. It is the cows that we complain of I am decidedly 

 anxious that there should be a thorough and exhaustive 

 inquiry. 



