June 1896.] PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS. 81 



lesions in the digestive canal and the slight symptoms of disease 

 exhibited by the animals during life. 



An important question arose as to the probability of swine 

 affected with the obscure form of the disease being sent to large 

 slaughter-houses and bacon factories for slaughter. This appre- 

 hension has been, however, set at rest by the inquiry which the 

 Committee directed to be made in different parts of the kingdom. 

 For this work veterinary surgeons were selected on account of 

 their experience and knowledge of swine fever, and they were 

 instructed to forward, for the inspection of the Committee, all 

 specimens in which they found indications of swine fever. 



In the course of their inquiry, altogether 13,783 specimens 

 were examined, and in none of the specimens forwarded were 

 any swine fever lesions detected. Indeed, taking into account 

 the fact that in nearly all cases of chronic disease the animals, 

 although not exhibiting any characteristic signs of swine fever, 

 are in poor condition and totally unfit for the butcher,, it is not 

 probable that they would be sent for slaughter. There is still, 

 however, ground for suspecting that they may be sent to markets 

 and sales as store pigs, and it is a well-known fact that a very 

 large number of outbreaks have been traced to swine recently 

 purchased at public sales. 



In reviewing their work for the year, the Committee find that 

 the following very important facts have been established : — 

 (1.) Bacteriological investigations prove that the cause of 



swine fever is a specific microbe. 

 (2.) Experience and observation prove that swine fever (both 

 in its acute and chronic forms) is communicable from 

 diseased to healthy swine by contact, and also by the 

 agency of persons, animals, and substances which are 

 capable of conveying the infective matter. 

 (3.) It has been shown that the pronounced symptoms which 

 have hitherto been looked upon as essential to a correct 

 diagnosis, are not always present in the early stage ©f 

 swine fever, and are constantly absent in the chronic 

 form, of disease. 



(4.) The Committee regard it as an important outcome of the 

 study of the morbid anatomy of the disease that some 

 animals undoubtedly infected with swine fever, pre- 

 sented only minute erosions in the intestinal canal, 

 and that other animals, which had been suffering from 

 either the acute or the chronic form of the malady, 

 but which had recovered, showed only depressed scars 

 which were apt to be overlooked at any but a very 

 thorough post-mortem inspection. 



(5.) From the experimental evidence it is concluded that a 

 condition of plugging of the crypts on the ileo-caecal 

 valve cannot be accepted as an indication of swine- 

 fever. 



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