Report on the Health of Animals of the Farm. 377 
ought to be used as a stock animal. Scrofula can frequently be 
detected by the existence of tumours in various parts of the 
body of cattle, but they show a greater preference to form about 
the throat and sides of the face than elsewhere. These tumours, 
especially such which are hard or nodulated to the feel, and only 
slightly painful, cannot be completely dispersed by any kind 
of treatment, but after a time they often yield to a degenerating 
process, and discharge a purulent-like fluid from sinuses which 
are formed within them. The disease is met with in all kinds 
of cattle, but prevails to the greatest extent among those which 
are known as our improved breeds, or pedigree stock. 
Splenic Apoplexy. — During the first months of the year very 
few cases of this disease came to our knowledge ; but recently our 
attention has been called to two or three rather serious occur- 
rences of the malady. The last of these took place in the 
neighbourhood of Hitchin among some heifers which were being 
grazed for the butcher. Several died very suddenly, and with- 
out any indications of ill-health being previously observed. 
Others sunk after an hour or two's illness. The veterinary 
surgeon at first suspected that the animals had been either acci- 
dentally or intentionally poisoned ; but an examination of the 
viscera — abdominal and thoracic — which were forwarded to the 
College, clearly showed that the animals had died from that re- 
markable blood affection known as splenic apoplexy. It is a 
singular fact, that although some bullocks were being grazed in 
the same pasture, and separated only from the heifers by an iron 
fence, not one of them was attacked by the malady. A change 
of food and in the system of management, and the exhibition 
of antiseptic agents — -such as the hypo-sulphite of soda — acted 
quickly in arresting the further progress of the malady. 
Lead Poisoning. — On two occasions within the past few weeks, 
the assistance of the College has been required in consequence 
of the serious illness of two herds of cattle, and the death of 
several in each instance. One of these cases occurred in Hert- 
fordshire, and the other in Sussex. In the former the herd 
numbered forty-one animals, all of which gave indications of 
disease, and nine of them died. In the latter the herd con- 
sisted of twenty-three animals, out of which five died. An 
investigation was made on the farm in each case, the Hertford- 
shire one coming first under notice. The symptoms presented 
by the animals were those which belong to poisoning by the 
compounds of lead. 
It was found that the animals had been put to pasture on 
May 3rd, and that their illness was observed on the 12th. One 
died on the 13th, and the death of this was quickly succeeded 
by the others. Further investigation and a visit to the field 
