EPITOME OF EVIDENCE ON PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 279 



pneumonia was 44 — that is from June to June — out of 192 

 cows. When an outbreak occurs, it is immediately reported to me. 

 They do not report to the police, as in the country, but report im- 

 mediately to the inspector. I immediately visit, and any animal 

 affected I send to the slaughter-house, leaving to their discretion 

 to inoculate or not ; but since 1878 it has been the universal 

 practice in Leith to inoculate. The mortality from pleuro- 

 pneumonia since inoculation began is considerably less. This 

 year there has been rather a serious mortality. There have been 

 ten outbreaks this year, but the number of cattle that died from 

 it is less. From 1873 to 1878 I had 410 cases of pleuro-pneu- 

 monia, bvit since inoculation was introduced into Leith — from 

 1878 to 1887 — I have only had 150 cases. The outbreaks have 

 been less frequent since inoculation. From 1873 to 1878 our stock 

 was only between 500 and 600, whereas it has now gradually 

 increased to 900, so that that strengthens the previous state- 

 ment. Fourteen per cent, represented the death-rate before 

 inoculation began, now the percentage is only 2 per cent. I 

 regard the great improvement in the death-rate is simply and 

 entirely due to inoculation. I have not changed my methods in 

 any other way. It is my opinion that inoculation is a great 

 and sure preventive of pleuro-pneumonia. I do not think that 

 there is any difficulty about the operation of inoculation. I 

 think some inoculators are more successful than others. I 

 attribute their greater success to the care in collecting the 

 lung material, likewise attention to the temperature, and the 

 care they have over the animals after inoculation, in keeping the 

 cow-shed at a certain temperature. I have heard of an animal 

 dying from the pleuro-pneumonia inoculation. I have seen 

 cases of that kind. I can with confidence say that in Leith 

 there is nothing about the system of inoculation that I could 

 not practise with success. I do not think that pleuro-pneumonia 

 is easily spread from one building to another. I do not believe 

 that a man's clothes can carry contagion. The distance must 

 be very circumscribed that carries contagion. The breath of 

 the one must come into actual contact with the breathing 

 power of the other. It generally takes about six weeks for 

 an animal, that has breathed infection, to show any symptoms. 

 I believe that a place where an animal has suffered from 

 pleuro-pneumonia is an infectious place to a limited extent. 

 I have never seen with extra precautions — with whitewashing 

 and so forth — fresh cows brought in with bad results. I do not 

 think that infection can cling about the byre, for I think that 

 after six weeks a byre may be regarded as non-infectious. My 

 experience has not enabled me to settle the point as to how long 

 a place may be considered infectious. I am not sure in my own 

 mind whether a place can be infected at all. I am distinctly of 



