Incubation. 
Q. 4103, 
4428-34, 
7099, 2656, 
4655-60, 
5712, 5816. 
Q. 5240a, 
6528, 8619. 
Q. 5915, 
6514. 
Q. 5914, 
6515-18. 
Difficulty of 
detection. 
Q. 6549-54. 
Q. 4643, 
5310, 5817, 
5341, 5740. 
Slaughter- 
houses. 
Q. 7726-8, 
8345. 
Q. 7791-2. 
Town 
dairies. 
Q. 7030-2, 
7637. 
Q. 7849-50. 
Q. 7642, 
7929. 
Q. 8171, 
8692-8. 
Q. 7783, 
7900, 8840. 
Suggested 
remedies. 
x COMMITTEE ON PLEURO-PNEUMONIA AND TUBERCULOSIS: 5 
27. Another point which was prominently brought before us by various witnesses 
was the lengthened period during which pleuro-pneumonia exists in the animal in a 
latent form.’ As regards the length of this period of incubation, very conflicting 
evidence was given. Several witnesses contended that the disease developed itself 
within three months, whilst others maintained that it might remain dormant for a 
much longer time, some even stating that they had known cases of the development of 
the disease after no less a period than 15 months. The evidence tends to show that — 
the period of 56 days, referred to in section 20 of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) 
Act, 1878, is quite untrustworthy and insufficient as a period of safety from infection. 
It is obvious that the peculiarity of the disease, viz., the uncertainty as regards the 
period of incubation, must add largely to the difficulties of detecting it in its early ah 
stages. It is, indeed, only by the use of the thermometer that this can, in some 
degree, be effected, though it should be remembered that the increase of temperature 
points to abnormal conditions, and should make the animal an object of suspicion, but 
does not necessarily indicate the specific nature of the disease. {) 00 9) i 
28. It is plain that the difficulty of detecting pleuto-pneumonia during this very 
lengthened period of incubation adds enormously to the probabilities of the spreading 
of the disease, and the difficulty of bringing it within efficient control. We regret to” 
have to add, that it has been made abundantly clear to us that, in many cases, this” 
ork. 
of any importance on the continent. We would therefore recommend that» public Gee 
abattoirs should be erected and maintained under the supervision and inspection OF ae 
tue Local Authority. ke AS * seSL AGRI Si 
30. We have already pointed out that cowsheds are frequent centres of infection. 
This undoubtedly arises from the highly insanitary condition of, we regret to say, 
a large proportion of the dairies and cowsheds in many of our large towns. __ Ay hs Ga 
31. Apart from the injurious effects to the health of the surrounding pop ulation, a e 
subject which is outside our inquiry, we would desire to point out, both on grounds 
of humanity and,as tending to the extermination of disease amongst cattle, the necessity 
; 
of a more stringent and systematic inspection of: town dairies and cowsheds, __ itis al 
32. We may here observe that there is a marked difference in the management of Beets 
the dairy herds of Dublin as compared with those of London and Edinburgh. In _ 
the case of the latter the cows once admitted rarely, if ever, leave the sheds until 
they are sent fat to the butcher for slaughter, which generally occurs at the’ end 
of 12 or 15 months. In Dublin, on the other hand, the animals are kept for a much _ 
longer period, and are generally only confined to the sheds’ during the winter months, 
being sent to open fields, some at a considerable distance from the city, in‘the  _ 
summer. Inasmuch as the Dublin cowsheds are now admittedly constant centres of 
disease, it is clear that this practice largely increases the difficulty of suecessfully  —_ 
dealing with pleuro-pneumonia in the Dublin districts. Moreover, it inflicts great 
injury and injustice upon the owners of healthy cattle in the grazing districts near _ 
Dublin, by the frequent introduction of diseased cows from the Dublin dairy yards 4 
into those: districts; which would otherwise have been free from disease. <<!) 9 
at | 
we had an opportunity of inspecting their farm near Horsham, and cannot help 
expressing our admiration of the excellent arrangements for the comfort and health a 
of the animals in the recently erected cowsheds, and the stringent regulations there —__ 
in force to prevent any possible infection of disease from other sources. ie 
ee. 
33. In connection with this subject, by the kindness of the Aylesbury Dairy Company, | * a 
34. The three chief methods of dealing with pleuro-pneumonia whick have. been 
prominently brought before us in the course of our inquiry are all of a preventive 
and not of a curative nature. They are: (1) Isolation ; (2) Inoculation; (3) Slaughter. — “a 
