PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 23 



then put into a byre where ijleuro-pneumonia was raging, and yet the animal was 

 now alive and well. In the case he .had spoken of in the neighbourhood of 

 Edinburgh regarding 70 or SO cows, there liad not been a sick animal since 

 inoculation. Had these animals been slaughtered the losses to the owner would 

 have been £2000, and a further sum of £2000 for milk that would have been lost. 

 The cost of any inquiry in comparison with a loss of that kind was not worth 

 considering ; for beyond paying for the cattle that were slaughtered there were the 

 restrictions put ujion people jiassing their stocks to the different grazings. He 

 thought the losses to the country at the present time were something extremely 

 serious. If they turned up the returns given for the Government last year they 

 would find that the loss in Scotland alone amounted to £1.5,000. But that did not 

 rejjresent anything like the whole loss to the country. He hoped the committee 

 would continue, and that ways and means would be found to enable them to carry 

 out to a satisfactory conclusion this inquiry. He had no hesitation in saying that 

 great benefit would accrue from it, for although a worthy professor at the head of the 

 Privy Council considered he had all the knowledge in the world in regard to this 

 matter, he was rather of a different opinion ; and he fancied, from consultations he 

 had had with the heads of the University here, that this disease was little known, and 

 that an inquiry would possibly lead to very different results from those they had at 

 the present time. He hoped the statement he had now made would be satisfactory 

 to the meeting, and that they would support the Directors in carrying out the 

 investigation. 



Mr ViLLiERS asked Mr Paterson if he considered that the tendency of the com- 

 mittee was to recommend legislation for compulsory inoculation in the end. 



Mr Paterson replied that the committee was simply ajipointed for the purpose of 

 considering as to the practicability of instituting an inquiry into this matter. They 

 had given in their 'rejiort to-day to the Board, and they proposed to continue the 

 committee with full powers to bring out all the truth they could in regard to the 

 question, but as to whether they were going to recommend legislation he had not the 

 authority to say. He had no doubt that if inoculation were carried out at the proper 

 time, before the disease had broken out in a byre, it would be free of disease for a very 

 lengthened time. They had had considerable difference of opinion as to how long 

 animals would be free from disease after inoculation. They had one learned 

 professor saying they would be free for life, and another saying for two or three 

 years. It would be of very great consequence indeed if .siicli a result could be 

 attained. 



The rejiort was then received. 



Perth Show, 1887. 



Colonel GiLLON said — I have to report that the General Show at Perth will take 

 place on the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th July. There was at one time some doubts if 

 the Show would be held, owing to pleuro-jineumonia, but these have been overcome, 

 owing to the strong feeling in the city of Perth and district that the Show should 

 not be posti>oned. The followingjis a comparative statement of the entries at Perth 

 in 1879 and on the present occasion : — 



1887. 1879. 



Cattle, .... 270 383 



Horses, .... 239 253 



Sheep, .... 530 470 



Swine, .... 38 56 



Poultry, . . . . 210 200 



Butter, .... 72 36 



Implements, . . , 1509 2207 



At a meeting of the General Committee, held at Perth on Friday last, the 

 following sub-committees were appointed : — Admission to Parade Gallery — Mr 

 Macduff of Bonhard (convener) ; Dean of Guild Mackenzie ; Mr Crawford ; Mr 

 Macdougall, Goodlyburn ; Treasurer Wilson. Police — Captain Smythe, yr. of 

 Methven ; Lord Provost Martin. Banquet — The Duke of Athole, K.T. ; the Earl 

 of Elgin ; Lord Stormont (convener) ; Mr Small of Dirnanean ; Sir Robert Menzies, 

 Bart. ; Lord Provost Martin; Dean of Guild Mackenzie. Ball— The Duke of Athole ; 

 the Earl of Elgin; Lord Stormont; Sir James Stewart Richardson, Bart, (convener); 

 Lord Provost Martin ; Bailie Mitchell ; Mr Richmond, Hilton ; Mr Cathcart, yr. of 

 Pitcairlie ; Captain Clayhills Henderson of Invergowrie ; Mr Moubray of Naemoor ; 

 Mr Beveridge, yr. of Kinneston ; and Mr Gilmour of Montrave. The erection of the 

 Showyard is being carried out by Mr James Farquhar, Broomhill Place, Aberdeen, 

 who performed the work in a satisfactory manner at Aberdeen in 1885 and Dumfries 

 in 1886. The refreshments in the yard will be in the hands of Mr Mitchell, 3 India 

 • Street, Edinburgh ; Messrs Hunter & Glover, 3 North St Andrew Street, Edinburgh ; 



