298 The Boofc of the Goat. 



first from the milk of two of the goats, and afterwards 

 from that of several more." At intervals varying from 

 eighteen to twenty-four days from the embarkation of the 

 goats eight of the crew of the vessel carrying this cargo 

 were taken ill, and investigation of the state of the blood 

 showed that Mediterranean Fever was the cause. Mr. 

 Thompson himself, who was also on board the same 

 vessel, died some four months later. His death, however, 

 was not ascribed to the fever, but to ' ' bilateral pneumonia, 

 following influenza." 



Seasonal 'Prevalence. 



Dr. Eyre observes, as an interesting point, that " a 

 milch goat whose serum gave such a pronounced reaction 

 as to make it absolutely certain that infection with Micro- 

 coccus melitensis had taken place, failed to excrete the 

 coccus in its milk, which, by the way, was drying up. 

 This animal was impregnated, and on dropping its kid 

 again yielded large quantities of milk, and now the 

 micrococcus appeared in the milk in large numbers, and was 

 isolated therefrom with the greatest ease. This observa- 

 tion has since been repeated, thus suggesting that the 

 milk of infected animals is most dangerous during the 

 period following the birth of the kid in other words, at 

 the beginning of summer. ... At the same time it must 

 be noted that the Maltese goat remains in milk for a 

 very long period, often one or two years, and sometimes 

 as long as three years, and this means that a supply of 

 infective material is always to hand, and that cases should 

 occur throughout the entire year." 



Transmission of the "Disease. 



The means of transmission of the disease from goat 

 to goat was carefully investigated, and the experimental 

 work showed that animals could be infected with a fair 



