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Concluding Report on the Erperiments at the 
an effectual manner proved unavailing ; and I found myself 
obliged to recommend to the Committee that they should be sold. 
The results of the experiments have been so far satisfactory 
that I cannot help regretting that they have been brought to 
an abrupt termination. The smallness of the number of the 
animals which we have had the opportunity of experimenting 
on renders it impossible to regard them as conclusive. The 
utmost that can be said is that, so far as they have gone, the 
results are sufficiently favourable to justify us in recommending 
further trial of the practice of venous infusion to those who are 
unlucky enough to have their herds invaded by pleuro-pneu- 
monia. As regards the safety of the operation itself, I can 
speak with confidence. Provided that an operator can be found 
with sufficient dexterity to perform it, and sufficient conscien- 
tiousness to avoid the known sources of danger, the trial can 
be made without risk. Certainty as to its value can only be 
attained by the experience of some years. 
I cannot conclude this Report without pointing out that, in 
case the value of inoculation should be established, there is no 
reason why the measures of sanitary police which have been 
enforced by the Legislature should interfere with its useful 
employment. It has been distinctly recognised as the basis 
of this legislation that pleuro-pneumonia is a disease of ex- 
tremely long incubation — i.e. one which may exist and pro- 
gress in the organism for months without producing obvious 
symptoms ; and that it is chiefly communicable by actual co- 
habitation. The recognition of these two facts has been em- 
bodied in the principle of prolonged segregation of all animals 
that have been exposed to intercourse with living sources of con- 
tagion. If it is found possible to carry out this principle 
effectually throughout the United Kingdom, it may be con- 
fidently anticipated that the prevalence of pleuro-pneumonia 
will gradually diminish until, as may be hoped, it may even- 
tually disappear. The realisation of this desirable result would, 
no doubt, tend to diminish the importance of the question of 
inoculation. So long, however, as outbreaks of pleuro-pneu- 
monia still exist, the limitation of its areas of prevalence by 
restrictive regulations would, in my judgment, materially faci- 
litate the application, within the areas so limited, of whatever 
other means of prevention might be found to be effectual for the 
diminution of the number of animals attacked. 
