382 



Inoculation for Pleuro-Fneumonia in Cattle, 



own or Dr. Willems' inoculations. He has operated on upwards 

 of a thousand animals since the 15th of April, with seventeen 

 deaths ; and has furnished the Government with the full details 

 of these cases. Since April he has attended about fiftee*i or six- 

 teen animals affected with pleuro-pneumonia in the town. 

 Hasselt, during the summer, is in general pretty free from 

 the disease, and fresh cattle entering it at this period of the year 

 are not so susceptible of the malady as those located there. In 

 November the disease usually begins, and becomes more rife 

 through the winter. Some of the distillers have not inoculated, 

 nor have they had the disease : others commenced the plan, but 

 discontinued it from the casualties attending the process. A 

 great many animals have lost their tails. He frequently inocu- 

 lates in the dewlap, but is most careful in selecting " the virus." 

 Of Jifty animals successfully inoculated at first, twenty-jive took 

 by a re-inoculation. A cow, successfully re-inoculated at St. 

 Trond, had the natural disease ten days afterwards, but recovered 

 from the treatment had recourse to. At St. Trond, also, three 

 cows died from pleuro-pneumonia, wiiich had been satisfactorily 

 inoculated ; the first was attacked twenty days afterwards, the 

 second two months, and the third three months and a half. 

 These animals were under the care of M. Wainots, veterinary 

 surgeon. 



Another veterinary surgeon of Hasselt, M. Vaes, says that 

 since April he has inoculated four hundred animals with com- 

 plete success — that all have been exposed to the contagion with 

 impunity. Tried re-inoculation on twenty, and only one was 

 affected a second time. The re-inoculation was done four months 

 after the first. About 2 per cent, die from the inoculation. Of 

 one hundred and thirty beasts ten only lost their tails. Believes 

 fully in the advantages of inoculation, and that no other preven- 

 tive but this is of any use. 



M. Douterluigne, veterinary surgeon of Brussels, also a mem- 

 ber of the Government commission, says that his own inocula- 

 tions too often prove destructive of the organism of the tail, 

 which inflames and passes on to a gangrenous condition. That 

 he is perfectly satisfied that very many animals will take by a 

 second after a first, successful, inoculation. Has seen many 

 deaths from pleuro-pneumonia subsequent to inoculation. Con- 

 siders M. Willems far too confident in the value of the operation ; 

 and adds, that when these successful re-inoculations and occur- 

 rences of the disease after inoculation have been named to him, 

 he has always answered, "All such results depend entirely 

 on improper original inoculations, for when these are properly 

 done the operation is a perfect and complete prophylactic." 

 M. Douterluigne also informed me that he had frequently 



