484 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



of 1862 that the attention of tlie vcterlnaiy profession, and of himself 

 in particular, was fii'st called to this matter, in conseq[uence of a 

 vinilent outbreak of the malady in the county of Berks. The first 

 pigs he then saw were some belonging to Mr. Charles Cantrell, Avhich 

 had received the very best treatment from the time of their being born ; 

 and he confessed that when he saw them he was completely taken aback, 

 and scarcely knew Avhat disease he was dealing with. He had never 

 seen anything of the Icind before ; for although he quite agreed with 

 Dr. Budd as to there being ulcerations in the mucous membrane, and 

 chiefly in the larger intestines, still in this instance there was a great 

 deposit on the membrane, and it was only by removing these deposits 

 that he was enabled to see that there were any ulcerations. 



Dr, Budd. — It was the same in my case. 



Professor Simonds. — These deposits were — as Dr. Budd has said — 

 like fungi on a tree, or the scar on a horse's leg after the operation of 

 firing, or slices of the columba-root. But they prevailed to a far greater 

 extent than any of these similes would convey to the mind. They existed 

 to such an extent, indeed, as absolutely to obliterate the passage through 

 the intestines, and more than one pig died from a ruptui'e of the intes- 

 tines, for the feculent matter could not pass through the colon in con- 

 sequence of the amazing amount of deposit. Other pigs showed less of 

 these characteristics, and in these instances the ulcerations were well 

 marked, and chiefly confined to the large intestines. Very shortly 

 after, he heard that many other pigs in the neighbourhood of Windsor 

 had taken the disease, and as a very considerable number had died 

 in the county that year, and he had observed the affection chiefly 

 among Berkshire pigs, he began to imbibe the notion that they Avcre 

 more suscci)tible of the disease tlian others. Subsequent experience 

 had shown him the fallacy of this conclusion, and he now thought 

 there was no difference whatever with regard to breeds of pigs, all 

 being, in his opinion, equally susceptible to the influence of the 

 contagion. Suffice it to say, that from 18G2 to the present time 

 the disease had been extending throughout the whole country, and 

 he did not Imow a single county that was not suffering more or less 

 from the affection. Certainly it existed in all the southern, midland, 

 and most of the northern counties, for he had seen animals from all 

 those districts. It was for this reason that in the Eeport of the 

 Governors of the Eoyal Veterinary College to this Society last year 

 the following paragi-aph was introduced : — 



" Although what may be called the established epizootics have been less 

 prevalent, a peculiar disease in the nature of diphtheria has affected pip;s in 

 several parts of the country. This disease, however, has apparently passed its 

 climax, and seems now to be on the decline. The sanitary mi^asurcs recom- 

 mended by the Professor were attended with marked benefit by keeping the 

 malady in check ; but further investigations into its pathology are required, 

 and in this, as in other analogous cases, the Governors invite the co-operation 

 of the Society." 



He quoted this passage to show that the Council had not only been 

 alive to the existence and ravages of the disease, but had been exceed- 

 ingly anxious to receive information and support from the various 



