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XI. — Quarterly Report of the Principal of the Royal Veterinary 
College. 
Dec. 9, 1872. 
Sir, — I have the honour to send you the subjoined Report on- 
the general state of the health of cattle and sheep during tlie past 
three months. 
With the exception of those maladies which pass under the 
ordinary name of epizootics, such as " foot-and-mouth disease,"^ 
" pleuro-pneumonia," &c., other diseases have not been very 
prevalent among these animals. 
This, perhaps, was hardly to be expected when the extraordi- 
nary rainfall which has prevailed throughout the period is con- 
sidered ; an explanation, however, of the circumstance may pro- 
bably be found in the fact that throughout the whole time an 
elevated temperature has chiefly prevailed. If, on the contrary, a 
low temperature had existed with the excess of wet, it is not too 
much to affirm that the health of all animals would have suffered 
in proportion. At present it may be too early to assert that the 
elevated temperature has, as in former seasons of a like kind, been 
quietly operating in the production of a disease which experience 
has shown to be one of the most destructive to which sheep are 
especially disposed, namely, the " rot." 
Under these circumstances it behoves flock-masters to be on 
their guard against the inroads of this insidious and destructive 
malady by giving their sheep as much dry and nutritious food, 
mingled with a small portion of salt, day by day, as will keep up 
■ the strength of the animal's constitution and be prophylactic 
against the liver-fluke, upon which the disease depends. For 
details in the management of sheep under such circumstances, 
I may refer agriculturists to a paper on the causes, pathology, 
and treatment of rot, published by me in the Society's ' Journal ' 
for the year 1862. 
With reference to parasites and parasitic diseases in general, 
I have to report that both calves and lambs — the former more 
especially — have suffered rather severely in some districts from 
attacks of the lung-worm — Strongylus hronchialis. 
As is often the ca«e, however, the calves in other localities 
which do not apparently differ either in the character or the culti- 
vation of the soil, or in the system of rearing young stock, have 
escaped ; — a mystery which science has still to unveil. 
The whole subject of parasitism is receiving the special 
attention of the College, the importance of it having led the 
Governors of the Institution to create a new professorship almost 
exclusively for its investigation. Dr. Cobbold, who holds the 
chair, is now daily engaged in delivering lectures to the students. 
