44 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



a naturally large milker more than one of common capacity. 

 But I admit that if a man is keeping thoroughbred cows, 

 valuable for their produce, that he wants to breed from as 

 long as possible, then he must be more careful about too 

 high feeding ; but if a man is after a profit from milk, it 

 seems to me that the feeding described is not excessive. 



Mr. Ware. We seem to be drifting away from the sub- 

 ject of abortion. Prof. Miles, from the Agricultural Col- 

 lege, I understand, has had considerable experience in that 

 matter, and we would be glad to hear from him. 



Prof. Miles. I was very much interested in the paper 

 read by Dr. Salmon, and it was in a line which I have been 

 myself investigating for a number of years. It is the germ 

 theory of disease. As he passed to the discussion of abor- 

 tion, there came to my mind several cases that may be of 

 interest. From some of the remarks made, it would ap- 

 pear that we know very little about the cause of abortion. 

 I think we do know somewhat in regard to it, though there 

 are very many obscure things about it in its epidemic form. 

 There are facts, however, which are beyond question. We 

 get confused if we attempt to bring all of our cases under 

 one law. There are a variety of known causes. We know 

 that mechanical injury will produce abortion. Undoubtedly, 

 what is popularly known as sympathy, where abortion has 

 occurred, will have its influence upon other animals. There 

 are other cases, however, to which these two causes do not 

 apply. There are conditions of the system which are diffi- 

 cult to get at when we examine the animals as we see them. 

 I was called upon at one time to make an examination of a 

 number of cows that had aborted. They were thoroughbred 

 animals, but not proving profitable, were sent to the butcher. 

 They were examined to ascertain the cause of abortion. In 

 several of the herd that were supposed to be barren, and 

 butchered for that reason, it was found that impregnation had 

 taken place, and abortion had occurred at difterent periods. 

 That was clearly demonstrated. The uterus was in a ple- 

 thoric condition, — just that condition that would cause it to 

 contract when the period of heat came round. That was 

 undoubtedly the cause in most of those cases. I had several 

 cases of heifers that failed to breed, and by watching them 



