VETERINARY PROBLEMS. 45^ 



carefully, I found that they aborted at every period of heat. 

 They would be impregnated, and when the period of heat 

 came round, abortion took place. We keep our cows in a 

 highly artificial condition, always housed, and there is a con- 

 dition of the system in the best of them that will give rise to 

 this disease. There is, moreover, I am satisfied, — I do 

 not know, for I have not been able to test it, but analogies 

 in other diseases seem to point in that direction, — there is a 

 specific kind of abortion which may be conveyed by infec- 

 tion. All the evidence seems to point to it. I have made 

 some observations from which I am inclined to think that the 

 disease is propagated by some of the germs which have been 

 mentioned by Dr. Salmon. So that, although we have very 

 much to learn in regard to it, yet there are certain facts 

 which are very well established. We should take those as 

 they are, and then pass on and connect the unexplained facts 

 by one law or the other. 



Question. Is there any remedy for an animal in that 

 condition ? 



Prof. Miles. I do not know of an}^ remedy. Of course, 

 those animals of which I have spoken, that were in that highly 

 plethoric condition, were pampered animals. The remedy, 

 I think, if commenced in season, would be to give them a 

 little more exercise and a little less pampering. But in the 

 cases to which I refer, it had been carried so far that I am 

 satisfied no remedy would have availed. 



Question. Couki you ascertain that an animal was in 

 such a condition while alive ? 



Prof. Miles. We did detect quite a number by close 

 watching. 



Mr. GrinnelLm I would like to ask Prof. Miles about one 

 cause of abortion which has not been mentioned, or, at most, 

 but very briefly mentioned, but which, in my opinion, from 

 some personal experience and from a good deal of reading, — 

 for I have studied the subject as much as I could, reading 

 that famous New York Report where they had a commission 

 to investigate this matter, — I want to know if it may not be 

 caused by some of the forms of ergot. Ergot is found in 

 other plants besides rye ; the ergot of commerce is from 

 rye. Now I want to know if there may not be ergot in 



