276 Abstract Rej)ort of Agricultural Discussions. 



nental Europe in regard to its treatment. Prussia, the whole of Ger- 

 many, France, and indeed the entire Continent, might be said to have 

 given up the idea of curing the disease. It was hardly to be expected, 

 therefore, that this country should possess a greater power of arresting 

 its course by curative means, than the countries which had failed on 

 the Continent. Considering the nature of the affection, and the laws 

 which govern its spread, he had been of opinion from the first that it 

 was not to curative means, but to strong preventive measui-es, that 

 we must look for deliverance. Here he might allude to one curative 

 means in jiarticular that was now occupying the public attention, and 

 which was regarded as so important that it was not unlikely to in- 

 fluence the decision of Parliament itself. The remedy to which 

 he referred was that which had been introduced by Mr. Worms of 

 Ceylon. 



Me. Worms' Eemedt. 



It should be known to the meeting that Mr. Worms was a gentle- 

 man who was highly connected. He possessed a considerable fortune, 

 and had for many years been engaged as a coffee planter in Ceylon. 

 By marriage he was connected with the family of Baron Eothschild. 

 Moved, no doubt, by anxiety to do all he could to arrest the progress 

 of the cattle-disease, which he believed to be identical with a disease 

 he was acquainted with in Ceylon, and having foimd that the disease 

 existing in Ceylon had yielded to special remedies, Mr. Worms was 

 also inclined to believe that he could arrest the disease by similar 

 means here. The first ojiportunity he had of trying his remedy was 

 in the case of some animals at Datchet. Those animals belonged to a 

 farmer, and had been seen by a veterinary siu'geon, who was inspector 

 of the Windsor district. There were nineteen head which were sub- 

 jects, as was suj)posed, of the disease, and these were all j)ut under 

 Mr. Worms' treatment. They were aj)parently somewhat relieved, 

 and a paragraph ajipeared in the ' Times ' and some other j)apers to 

 the effect that these nineteen animals had been all cured of the affec- 

 tion. This paragrajDh came under the notice of Lord Leigh, who, 

 having the misfortune to have the disease on his farm, telegraphed for 

 Mr. Worms, who thereui^on went down to Stoneleigh, where he had a 

 certain number- of Lord Leigh's animals placed under his treatment. 

 Now, Avith regard to the nineteen animals which were said to have 

 been cured at Datchet, he might say, without fear of contradiction, 

 that not only had they not been cured, but that Mr. Worms admitted 

 they were all dead. Mr. Worms was inclined to think, however, that 

 their deaths had arisen from some mismanagement, and from his 

 remedy not having been given in sufficient strength. Then, with 

 regard to Lord Leigh's case, if he were correctly informed, one cow 

 in an advanced stage of the disease was j^laced under the care of 

 Mr. Worms, and that animal was said to have recovered. Twenty-four 

 other cows were subsequently treated by Mr. Worms, and they also 

 were said to have recovered. As to the cow for which a grave had 

 been prej^ared, and which was spared in order that she might be treated 

 by Mr. Worms, if he were rightly informed, the animal was, at the 



