Monthly Council, December 6, 1011. xxxiii 



Mr. Mackenzie's resigiintion- of the position nf Editor for reasons of health. Of 

 course it would be uudevstooti that Mr. Mackenzie would bring out the next 

 volume of the Journal. 



Mr. H. Herbert Smith called attention to the fact that no mention was 

 made of abortion in cattle in the Annual Report of the Principal of the Koyal 

 Veterinary College, as he thought this might cause some disappointment to 

 agriculturists in the West of England. The question of abortion was a very 

 serious one indeed in many districts, and several representations had been 

 made to him on the subject. The Annual Report was a most excellent one in 

 every other resi^ect, but, as he had said, it did not contain anything with 

 regard to this disease, the losses from which were so considerable that few of 

 them, he thought, knew how very great such losses were. He merely wished 

 to draw the attention of the Council to what, to his mind, was an important 

 omission, because he felt it would cause considerable disappointment if an 

 Annual Report of this character were published without making any reference 

 to the matter. liord Northbrook, in reply, said he was sure they all agi'eed 

 with Mr. Herbert Smitli that the question of abortion was of the greatest 

 importance to the stock-breeders of this country. He might point out, how- 

 ever, that the question had been dealt with fully in previous reports presented 

 by Sir John McFadyean, and he thought he was correct in saying that it was 

 dealt with in the last Report Sir John presented. No doubt Mr. Smith was 

 aware of the very interesting Report of the Departmental Committee on 

 Abortion in Cattle, and farmers who studied that rep(U-t could not fail to learn 

 a great deal from it. He was one of those who regretted that no action had 

 been taken on that Report. He did not know whether they could altogether 

 blame the Board of Agriculture, because some societies had taken what, in his 

 humble judgment, was an unfortunate view, and had assumed an attitude of 

 hostility to the I>epartmental Committee's recommendation for compulsory 

 notification. He was afraid that the action of those societies had not tended 

 to support the Board in dealing with the matter. He would like the Council 

 to know that this question had not been lost sight of at the Royal Veterinary 

 College, but that further experiments were being carried out by Sir John 

 McFadyean whidi would be of very great importance, and when those experi- 

 ments had reached a more advanced stage a Report would be presented. Mr. 

 Smith thought it would be a good thing if agriculturists could know that. 

 All he criticised was that no mention was made of a disease which was causing 

 such devastation in the West of England. 



On the presentation of the Report of the Committee of Selection, the 

 Acting-President welcomed the new Members of Council (Lord Hastings, 

 Mr. E. W. Betts, and Mr. John Myatt) who were present at the meeting. He 

 was sure the Council were all glad to see them there, and their advice would 

 also be valued at the meetings. 



The Earl of Northbrook, in presenting the Report of the Tuberculosis 

 Experiments Committee, said he was glad to be able to say that everything 

 was progressing satisfactorily with regard to the demonstration. He would 

 like to say one word on a matter referred to in the Report. Accounts had been 

 recommended for payment at the last meeting, and he might supplement that 

 by saying that the total expenditure up to date was 382^. lOs. 2cl. The cost to 

 the Society would have been very much greater than that but for the 

 generosity of Lord Rothschild, who very kindly undertook to provide thirty 

 down-calving cows that had reacted to the tuberculin test, and to bear all cost 

 of putting the calves on the farm. 'I'he ('ommittee, on the advice of Sir John 

 McFadyean, considered that it was desirable that they should have thirty 

 calves fur the demonstration, as originally contemplated. It was inevitable 

 that they must lose a certain number of calves born on the farm, particularly 

 when they took into consideration that for the purposes of the demonstration 

 the calves had to be reared from the first days of their life under somewhat 

 trying conditions, and therefore they would not get from the thirty rows which 



