PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 33 



pals of the three Scottish Veterinary Colleges, and other veterinary surgeons, to give 

 evidence before them, also the representatives of local authorities, and a number 

 of dairymen and other stock owners. The committee afterwards gave in a report, 

 which the Directors did not adopt. The Board, however, appointed a deputation, 

 consisting of Mr Stirling of Kippendavie ; Mr Paterson of Birthwood ; Mr Marr, 

 Cairnbrogie, and the Secretary, to lay before the Privy Council— First, a memorial 

 requesting the Government to compel local authorities to slaughter, during the 

 winter months, all animals affected with pleuro, and also all cattle that had been in 

 contact with them, and to use their influence to have the same policy carried out in 

 Ireland ; and secondly, a resolution passed by the Board on the 2nd November to 

 the effect that a thorough investigation should be instituted into the nature of 

 pleuro-pneumonia, and requesting the Government either to undertake such an 

 investigation or to provide a sum to enable the Society to do so. Lord Cranbrook, 

 on the part of the Privy Council, promised that the Government would take into 

 consideration the representations made by the deputation, and would see whether 

 anything further could be done by the Privy Council on the subject of pleuro- 

 pneiimonia. With regard to the other matter, the first step would be to explain to 

 the Irish Government the remarks which had been made of the condition of things 

 in Scotland, and see whether any security against the importation of unsound cattle 

 into Scotland, as well as into England, could be obtained from them. A digest of 

 the evidence taken before the Society's committee had been prepared, was now in 

 course of being revised by the different witnesses, and would be forwarded to the 

 Privy Council as soon as possible. 



Sir Jauies Gibson Craig, Bart., said that before they took any step in that matter 

 he would like very much that the evidence taken before their committee should be 

 circulated. The JHighland Society had taken on themselves the responsibility of 

 urging on the Privy Council the indiscriminate slaughter of all animals suffering from 

 pleuro-pneumonia. That was a very serious point, and he wanted, in the interest 

 of dairy farmers and dairymen, that that point should be considered. They had had 

 great experience in the county of Mid-Lothian, and their experience of inoculation 

 had been very satisfactory. There were several places he could name, and many 

 more he could refer to, where it had been perfectly successful, and where there had 

 never been any outbreak from the time inoculation had taken place. They had had 

 thirty-eight outbreaks of pleuro-pneumonia in that county this year, and he did not 

 know that there was one where inoculation had been practised. The disease had 

 always been caused by animals brought from a distance. With that slaughter of 

 animals a large amount of capital had been wasted, for which there was no call. 

 It was a matter which called for consideration, and he was sorry such a sweeping 

 recommendation sliould be made to the Privy Council. He hoped the digest of the 

 evidence which was being prepared would be well circulated. 



Mr Maxwell of Munches said he agreed with what had just been said by the last 

 speaker. In a different part of the country they had tried inoculation with the 

 greatest success. It proved a great saving of expense, and not only a great saving 

 to the owner's stock, but a great saving in the assessment upon the district. He 

 hoped nothing would be pressed on so as to carry out such a resolution as the 

 slaughter of all diseased animals. It seemed to him the most unfortunate thing that 

 could happen in this country. He thought the time had come when they should try 

 some other system. He was told that the great reason why the Government would 

 not go in for an inquiry regarding inoculation was tlie ex])ense, but such expense was 

 nothing compared with what it would be if such slaughter was carried out. He 

 only hoped that slaughtering diseased cattle would not become imperative. 



Sir James Gibson-Craig explained that they did not object to the slaughtering 

 of the cattle which were actually diseased. What they did object to was the 

 promiscuous slaughter of the whole of the sound cattle which had come in contact 

 with the diseased ones. 



Mr Maxwell said he quite understood that. He was well aware that they must 

 slaughter the diseased ones. What he wished was that the others should simply be 

 inoculated. 



Mr CowE, Balhousie, also endorsed the remarks of Sir James Gibson-Craig, and 

 gave instances of the immunity of cattle in Forfarshire from disease through the 

 means of inoculation after they had been in contact with diseased animals. 



The Rev. John Gillespie said he happened to be the member of the Board who 

 moved the adoption of the recommendations, and he was confidently prepared to 

 vindicate what he, as a humble individual, did on that occasion. The Board had not 

 pronounced in favour of indiscriminate slaughter all round. A proposal was made 

 to the Board in favour of promoting legislation to get compulsory slaughter all 

 round. That found no favour with the Board. The resolution was to the effect that 

 the existing circumstances afforded a most favourable opportunity -v/hen winter 

 approached and the removal of stock was brought to a close — for the Privy Council, 



VOL. XX. 6 



