The Cattle-Plague. 285 



must remain till after the plague had disappeared, and for three weeks 

 after the death of the last animal. In some cases the authorities of 

 Germany had gone so far as to tar the roads, and in all cases travellers 

 were compelled to keej) outside the circle. 



The Chairman observed that the words of the Prussian regulation 

 were that the place should be as if it were not in existence. 



Professor Simonds said he was told himself that if he went inside 

 he would be obliged to receive all his food at the end of a pole, and 

 that after receiving it he must place his money in a pan of water. 

 Such restrictions could never be carried out in a country like this ; 

 but he did think they must have some very stringent measures in 

 connection with the slaughtering of animals. It was true that they 

 would now have a very great slaughter, and he hoped that that 

 slaughter might exterminate the disease ; but he was one of those who 

 thought it would be necessary to establish very stringent regulations, 

 and even perhaps to establish cordons. The meeting would excuse 

 him for not entering more into that question, seeing that it had an 

 important bearing on his position in relation to the Government. 

 As to the range of the disease, he agreed with Dr. Crisp, that sheep, 

 and indeed all ruminants, were in a greater or less degi-eo susceptible ; 

 this did not, however, render the name " cattle-plague " inapplicable, 

 for sheep are, properly speaking, cattle ; but as regarded sheep they 

 had this seciudty, that they were less susceptible than bullocks, and, 

 therefore, there were not so many doors of attack. This compara- 

 tive insusceptibility secured a great number of flocks from the disease, 

 and a larger percentage of sheep than of cattle recovered. After 

 careful investigation, however, he was perfectly satisfied that not less 

 than twenty-three flocks in this country had been subjects of the 

 cattle-disease. The total number of sheeji attacked in these twenty- 

 three flocks was 3948, and the total number of deaths 2265 ; so that 

 the nmnber of recoveries was 1683. As to hunting, he quite agreed 

 with Lord Cathcart, that if it were shown that hunting had been a 

 means of propagating the cattle- plague it would be given up. In his 

 observations he had endeavoiu-ed to avoid giving any opinions of his 

 own, dealing mth facts and facts alone ; and he thought that many 

 eminent medical men would have stood in a better position had they 

 not been so ready to put forward their opinions, and he had no facts 

 to show that cattle-plague has been spread by himting. 



With regard to Mr. Worms' treatment, there could be no doubt 

 that the keeping of animals which were in a state of disease, and 

 especially disease like the cattle-plague, from improper food was 

 very desirable ; but it must be borne in mind that, generally speaking, 

 there was no appetite, and even if the most tempting morsels were 

 placed before an animal in that condition, it would not partake of 

 them. He did not attribute Mr. Worms' supposed cures to any special 

 remedy ; and he must say that he believed that proper nursing, com- 

 bined with the use of such agents as would support the strength, and 

 not overtax the digestive organs, was better than medical treatment. 

 As to Turkish baths, and everything of that kind, they merely called 

 for the exercise of a function which the animal had not sufficient 



