PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 2? 



district committee, and he moved a vote of thanks to them for the able manner in 

 whicli thej^ had jierformed their duties. Mr AIUEDOCH, Gartcraig, seconded the 

 motion, whicli was adopted. Viscount Stormont, in acknowledging the vote of 

 thanks, said he very much feared that the success of the Show this year was rather 

 dovibtful, and he trusted that the next time the Society houoixred Perth with a visit, 

 they would be able to have a cattle Show where there would be some cattle. 



Mr Elliot of Wolfelee moved that the thanks of the Society be given to the 

 Commissioners of Supply for the counties of Perth, Forfar, Fife, and Kinross for 

 their liberal contributions in aid of the auxiliary fund. The motion, which was 

 seconded by Mr Macphek«on Grant, and adopted, was acknowledged by Viscount 

 Stokmont. 



Pleuro-Pneumonia. 



Mr Hugh Lindsay, Meadowflat, raised the question of pleuro-pneumonia, which 

 lie said was of great interest to farmers, and expressed the hojie that the convener 

 of the Society's committee in charge of the question would inform the meeting what 

 had been done in the waj^ of carrying out their investigations. 



Mr Paterson of Birthwood, the convener, said the committee had had several 

 meetings since the last general meeting of the Society. Last year he had spoken of 

 an animal that belonged to Professor M'Call, Glasgow, and stated that it withstood 

 any infection, although placed among some which were seriously affected by the 

 disease. Professor J\I 'Call had the animal for a considerable time in his jiossession, 

 and it was never in contact with any animals suffering from the disease. It was 

 inoculated by Dr Rutherfurd, Edinburgh, and after its recovery from the inoculation 

 it was jilaced in a byre where a serious outbreak had taken place. The animal 

 withstood all effects of tlie disease, and was alive and well at the present time. He 

 thought tliat might be taken as showing that animals inoculated before coming into 

 contact with others suffering from the disease would withstand its attack. The 

 committee had issued a circular to local authorities asking replies from their 

 inspectors to eleven queries with reference to the disease. From 110 to 120 replies 

 had been received and tabulated. They found that the almost unanimous oinnion 

 exjiressed by those who had experience of the disease and of inoculation was that a 

 further inquiry should be carried out, and that that inquiry would be fruitful of good 

 results. He tliought that at present no man could really tell when an animal was 

 suffering from pleuro-pneumonia. Six weeks was allowed to be the period between 

 its first contact with disease and the appearance of external symptoms. It might be 

 months before the disease showed itself. He mentioned that in connection with the 

 report which had been issued by the Privy Council on the subject of pleuro-pneumonia, 

 and ujion which a leader appeared in the Scotsman on Tuesday, they were told that 

 animals could be insijected at the port of export. There was no man living who 

 could tell whether a particidar animal had the disease or not ; and, with the 

 knowledge they had of the disease, inspection of that character was not worth having. 

 He was in hopes that if they carried out that inquiry they would arrive at a position 

 different and more satisfactory than that which they occupied at the present moment. 

 He looked ujion the slaughter of animals that was going on all over the country as 

 one of the most hideous and horrible things it was j^ossible to contemplate. In his 

 own county of Lanark he had decreed the slaughter of 107 cattle ; and the young 

 ones among them were found to be perfectly free from the disease. He thought it 

 was a very great disgrace to science that they were in that lamentable position, that 

 they were at this time of day in ignorance of the nature of the disease. In con- 

 ducting the proposed iiKjuiry, they required the assistance of veterinary surgeons, 

 chemists, and others, and it was absolutely necessary tliat they should have ample 

 funds at their disposal ; and he trusted that their investigations would be suc- 

 cessful, for at present they knew as much about pleuro-pneumonia as it knew 

 about them. He liojied the members would bring the subject before their local 

 authorities, and induce them to contribute to the funds necessary for the inquiry. 

 As soon as their report was finished, it would be sent to the dift'erent local authorities, 

 and they would also approach Government on the subject. One member had already 

 done so. 



Mr .STiRLiNfi (interrupting) appealed to the meeting not to press the committee for 

 any further report tliat day. He thought it was hardly fair to the committee that 

 they should be to a certain extent pledged to any opinion on the subject. He felt 

 that the convener was to a certain extent pledging liim further than he was perhaps 

 inclined to go. He begged that the meeting would believe that the committee would 

 give their very best consideration to the subject, and that the members of the Society 

 would not be kejrt in ignorance of what the committee was doing. 



Mr P.\terson said he was very sorry if he liad jiledged any one, but he did not 

 think he liad done so. He trvisted that the harmony which had existed in the 

 committee would continue. There was no more active member than Mr Stirling, 



