THE LUNG PLAGUE. 67 



accidents, on another number of the inoculated animals, so that even death 



maj' result. 



3. The inoculation of the liquid from the lungs of an animal affected 

 with pleuro-pneumonia exerts a preservative influence, and invests the 

 economy of the larger number of animals subjected to its influence with 

 an imniunity which protects them from the contagion of this malady 

 during a period which has yet to be determined, but which the experi- 

 ments quoted indicated, at all events, not to be less than six months. 



Although, from the experiments of the commission, the losses per 

 cent, among the animals inoculated were greater than* the losses by the 

 disease communicated by cohabitation, they ascribed this partly to the 

 imperfect means adopted in inoculating, and they do not overlook the 

 great deterioration of the animals which did not die after suffering from 

 the natural disorder. They recommended further trials, and that the 

 practice should be encouraged. 



A mixed commission of the central society of medicine and the agri- 

 cultural committee of Lille instituted experiments on one thousand two 

 hundred and forty-five animals to determine the comparative effects of 

 inoculation of the pulmonary liquid of pleuro-pneumonia and of septic 

 matters. The inoculations with virus amounted to one thousand two 

 hundred and sixteen; of these nine hundred and seventy-eight succeeded 

 and two hundred and thirty-eight showed no visible effects. One hun- 

 dred and seventy-niue animals, or 14.72 per cent., lost a part of the tail; 

 seventeen, or 1.39 per cent., died; lastly, twenty-nine animals, or 2.38 per 

 cent., were seized with pleuro-pneumonia, and of these eight succumbed- 

 Twenty-nine head of cattle were inoculated with decomposing matter, 

 and only two without local effect resulting. Ten lost a portion of the 

 tail, viz., thirty-four p^r cent. Of these animals three caught pleuro- 

 pneumonia, and one of these died. The Lille committee regarded the 

 process and results of inoculation as involved in doul)ts and uncertainties. 

 In England attention was directed to inoculation by consuls from 

 abroad, and Professors Simonds and Morton were commissioned to pro- 

 ceed to Belgium, investigate the matter, and then to institute experi- 

 ments at home. The result obtained, after much too limited observation, 

 was pronounced against the practice. This sufficed to prevent the prac- 

 tice of the operation among veterinarians, and the London cow-feeders 

 alone resorted to the idan, in a very partial and imperfect manner. 



I witnessed many bad results in 1851 and 1855, and a case which came 

 under my observation on the 4th of May, 1850, in which putrid matter 

 that had been kept in an ink-bottle for a long time was used, led mo to 

 pronounce a somewhat cautious but adverse opinion on the Highland 

 Society's transactions for that year. 



My efforts were afterwards directed to an exposure of the evils of 

 indiscriminate snle of healthy and sick cattle in i)ublic markets, and 

 I insisted on the slaughter and isolation of sick and infected cattle. The 

 little support I received at home led me, in 1803, to call together the first 

 international veterinary congress, which was held in Hamburg, and 



