246 



Inoculation for Pleuro-Pneumonia in Cattle, 



inoculation ; more particularly as, with Nos. 19, 21, and 23, where considerable 

 action prevailed, it did not occur. 



" 9th. Although it cannot with perfect certainty be determined whether pre- 

 mature calving of the cow (No. 10) near her time of calving, and the symptoms 

 observed on that cow and subsequently on the calf, as well as the premature 

 calving of No, 14, are attributable to the previous inoculation, it would not be 

 advisable in advanced stages of bearing to apply it. 



" 10th. Although abortion on the first appearance of the disease frequently 

 occurs, it is worthy of remark that it never occurred with animals where action 

 was so severe as to occasion death (as in case No. 9) ; so that, if inoculation 

 esercises influence on pregnancy it probably only does so in the last stage. 



" 11th. The supposition noticed in the first report, that the commencement 

 of the disease after inoculation is only to be ascribed to its having been in 

 existence at the time of inoculation (of which nevertheless not one single 

 appearance has been observed), obtains greater probability from the present 

 experiments. 



" 12th. The assertion that animals having once had the pulmonary disease 

 and been cured, never, or at least rarely, take the disease for the second time, 

 and that inoculation in such cases remains inoperative, is confirmed in case 

 No. 16, on whom inoculation twice repeated produced no effect. And finally : 



" 13th. Although the present trials prove in a remarkable degree that 

 inoculation possesses the power, at least temporarily, to prevent infection, it 

 remains uncertain how far disposition for the disease is completely, or only 

 for a longer period, destroyed. 



" From the nature of the subject a considerable time must elapse before any 

 positive conclusion can be acquired on this point. 



"The Committee has thus endeavoured to make your Excellency* 

 acquainted, as circumstantially and accurately as possible, with the result of its 

 investigation. 



" It has entered into extensive detail in order as far as possible to state 

 every particular relative to inoculation and its consequences, with a view 

 thereby, and by a faithful detail of the progress of its inquiries, to remove 

 from the minds of our cattle proprietors the unfavourable impression produced 

 by the rash, or at all events premature, judgment of veterinary practitioners in 

 a neighbouring country, which has been noticed in several newspapers ; 

 neither does the Committee, from the result of acquired experience, hesitate 

 to recommend inoculation, under prudent treatment, in every case where 

 pulmonary disease has broken out in a herd of cattle, or in the neighbourhood. 

 (Signed) " P. H. J. Wellenbergh. I. Jennes. 



R. J. C. Rynders. F. C. Hekmeyeb. 



G. Wit. J.TEI. E. Van Laer. 



" Utrecht, Bee. 28, 1852." 



It will be sufficient for the present to make but one or two 

 comments on these conclusions : and firstly, on " the supposition" 

 contained in the 11th section, to the effect that animals dying of 

 Pleuro-pneumonia, subsequent to inoculation, have at the time 

 of the operation the disease incubated in their systems. This 

 is a point of some importance in the present inquiry, and parti- 

 cularly with regard to protection ; for while it admits that 

 Pleuro-pneumonia is a disease which has, like many others, its 

 incubative stage, still it fixes no limit to such stage. We might 



* The Report is addressed to his Excellency the Minister of the Home Depart- 

 ment. 



