14S 



THE FA11MER*S MAGAZINE. 



any former year. Examiuatioua to teat the proficiency of the 

 pupils have from time to time been instituted, and from the 

 reports which have been furnished to the Governors by the 

 Professors, they believe that the progress of the pupils in the 

 several departments of their studies has been very satisfactory. 

 To second the labours of the professors, and to stimulate the 

 pupils in the acquirement of knowledge, the Governors, early 

 in the year, arranged for the application of certain funds 

 placed at their disposal by the late Professor Coleman, to the 

 awarding of medals of silver and bronze, and a certificate of 

 merit as honorary distinctions of the first, second, and third 

 class, to such pupils as should be the authors of the best essay 

 on a selected subject of veterinary medicine. The subject 

 chosen for the competition was, "The eye of the horse, em- 

 bracing its anatomy and physiology, the laws of light apper- 

 taining to vision, the chemical composition of the humours, 

 and the pathology, treatment and results of the disease known 

 by the name of constitutional ophthalmia." 



The conditions were— Ist. That the essayists should write 

 within the college, and that the time be limited to three hours 

 a day, for six consecutive days. 2nd. That their papers should 

 be in the custody of the Demonstrator of Anatomy. 3rd. That 

 no reference to books would he allowed. 4th. That each paper 

 should be superscribed with a motto, and be accompanied by a 

 sealed envelope bearing the same motto, and containing also 

 the name of the writer. 



The successful essayists were : — 



Mr. Francis Talhot Sharp, Nottingham, Silver Medal. 

 Mr. Georp;e A. Oliphant, Marshwood, Southampton, 



Bronze Medal. 

 Mr. William Barker Walters, Birmingham, Certificate of 

 Merit. 



Although an important malady affecting the horse was thus 

 first chosen, such being ia accordance with the wish of the 

 donor, it is the intention of the Governors in future years to 

 select ia turn a subject in connection with the pathology of 

 cattle, sheep, and other domesticated animals ; as also upon 

 chemistry and Materia Medica. 



Communications AND Cases — It is a source of much 

 gratification to find that an increased number of communica- 

 tions, seeking advice for the management and treatment of 

 diseased animals, has been received from the members of the 

 Society, and also that a great many morbid specimens have 

 been forwarded from different parts of the country, thus 

 affording increased facilities for tlie student to become practi- 

 cally acquainted with cattle pathology, at the same time that 

 the principles of the science are being expounded to them in 

 the lecture room. The benefit which must result from the 

 continuous adoption of this plan cannot be too highly eati- 

 mated, as it is an assurance to the sgriculturist that those 

 pupils who daily enter on the practice of their profession, as 

 graduates of the College, are equally well informed on the 

 nature and treatment of the diseases of cattle and sheep as 

 they are on those of the horse. The Governors have loug seen 

 the advantages resulting from this co-operation on the part of 

 the members of the Society, and which they view as second 

 only in importance to their obtaining the personal attendance 

 of the professor of cattle pathology on cases of disease which 

 may assume a more urgent type. Hence in former reports 

 they have not failed to direct special attention to this subject, 

 as well as to urge such a modification of the Society's rules 

 which apply to the obtainment of the professor's services, as 

 to lead to their being simplified, and they learn with great 

 satisfaction, that their recommendation has not only been en- 

 tertained by the Council, but that in due course it will be 

 carried into practice. A very limited number of cattle and 

 sheep have been received into the infirmary for treatment, and 

 the Governors cannot help reiterating their surprise at the 

 apathy which prevails so generally among agriculturists to 

 avail themselves of the privileges they possess in this respect 

 as members of the Society. 



Annual Meeting.— At the meeting which took place at 

 Canterbury both Professor Spooner and Professor Simonds 

 were in attendance as Veterinary Inspectors, and the Go- 

 vernors have observed with very great pleasure that in this 

 effort of theirs to render benefit they have succeeded to the 

 satisfaction of the Society. The rigid examination to which 

 all the animals are now subjected is gradually lessening the 

 number of incorrect returns with reference to their age, and 



correcting also the abuse of sending for exhibition those which 

 are the subject of hereditary disease. The examination of the 

 horses has, however, often been less satisfactory to the in- 

 spector than he could desire, arising chiefly from the limited 

 means at his disposal, and the Governors doubt not that at 

 the approaching meeting at Leeds any increased facilities be 

 may require by a modified arrangement of the sheda, so as to 

 set apart one exclusively for his use, and the supplying him 

 with practical assistance iu his investigations into the sound- 

 ness of the animals, will be readily granted by the Council. 



Prevalent Diseases. — Apart from ordinary diseases, 

 the chief maladies of a serious nature which have prevailed 

 among cattle have been pleuro-pueumonia end epizootic 

 eczema, commonly known as the mouth and foot-disease ; 

 while among sheep, at the early part of the year, chronic dis- 

 eases of the lungs, resulting from the cxi.stetice of worms 

 (filarioe) within the bronchial tubes during the preceding 

 autumn, proved very destructive. No doubt but the fatality 

 of this disease was greatly added to by the long-continued 

 wet weather and low temperature which prevailed. It is, 

 however, to be feared that these same causes have bad even a 

 far greater injurious effect on the health of sheep in producing 

 that fatal malady which is commonly known by the name of 

 " rot." At the preseat time this destructive disease is wider 

 spread than has been the case for many years ; and in several 

 of the western counties it is to be feared from the recent in- 

 vestigations of the Professor of Cattle Pathology, that whole 

 flocks will be sacrificed to its ravages. Little can now be done 

 to prevent these losses, the malady being one which has had 

 its origin in the entrance of entozoa into the organism of the 

 sheep, and during the preceding summer months. In their 

 more perfect form these entozoa are known by tiie name of 

 flukes, and are found to be inhabiting the gall ducts of the 

 liver, where tbey not only produce functional derangement 

 of the organ, but early lay the foundation for irremediable 

 structural changes. The study of the natural history of these 

 creatures opens up the only chance of preventing their attacks, 

 and thus to save the lives of our sheep ; and it is gratifying 

 to find that investigations of this kind have long since been 

 undertaken by the Professor of Cattle Pathology, and which 

 are satisfactorily progressing. With reference to pleuro- 

 pneumonia, the Governors would observe that several circum- 

 stances have shown during the past year in a moat remarkable 

 manner that the main cause of the spread of this disease is 

 contagion. Such is its introduction into the United States, 

 and also into Australia ; the outbreak depending in the former 

 country on the importation of some cattle from Holland, and 

 in the latter on a similar importation from England. Within 

 the past week it has also come to the knowledge of the Gover- 

 nors that the malady has been carried into Norway by some 

 Ayrshire cows sent from Scotland. Facts of this kind are of 

 the first importance, as indicating the means which should be 

 adopted to limit its extension. Preventive measures are alone 

 to be relied on, as the fatality attending the disease can be 

 scarcely said to be diminished since it first made its appear- 

 ance in this country ; uor is it to be hoped that science can do 

 more than she has already done in devising means of its cure. 

 In conclusion, the Governors would again convey to the 

 Council their fixed resolve to do everything within their power 

 to render the science of Veterinary Medicine of increasing value 

 to the agricultural community. — J. W. Bosanquet, Treasurer 

 of the Royal Veterinary College, Jan. 12, 1861. 



A report from the Veterinary Professor of his pro- 

 fessional visit to Bridgerule, in Devonshire, was read 

 as follows : 



Royal Veterinary College. — On the 14th of 

 December, 1860, in accordance with instructions re- 

 ceived from the Council, I visited the parish of Bridge- 

 rule, North Devon, for the purpose of investigating 

 a fatal malady existing among the sheep in that and 

 adjoining parishes. The application came from the 

 Rev. S. KingdoD, the resident Minister, and an old 

 member of the Society, who stated that " more than 

 half of the sheep had died or been sent off to be 

 slaughtered at Plymouth." It was suspected that the 

 animals were suffering from " rot," but a doubt existed 



