460 
Abortion in Coics. 
Farms 24 and 25. — These farms have each had one abortion this spring. 
One was undoubtedly due to an injury, the other to causes unknown. 
I have retained their numbers, as entered in my note-book, for possible 
future events. 
Farm 26. — Mr. U.'s. This is the farm from which Cases 15 and 16 were 
at first suspected to be the source from which their cattle were infected. Mr. U. 
keeps about 12 milch-cows. He entered on this farm in April 1882, on which 
abortions had previously taken place. At the sale of the outgoing tenant, 
March 17th, he purchased four in-calvers. Standing with them at the time 
of the sale was a heifer which had aborted two days previously. His four 
went their full time. In June two heifers which had been purchased else- 
where aborted, as did two more in July. He then decided to try to free 
himself of this plague by selling all his remaining in-calvers. These, nine in 
number, be sold to Mr. P. N. One of them was again sold, and she aborted 
in about three weeks from the time of leaving this farm ; the remaining eight 
went their full time. 
When he (Mr. U.) thought all infection must have disappeared from his 
farm he bought others, with the result that during 1883 some eight or ten 
aborted, most of them whilst out, but some when up altogether. They were 
not separated from the rest of the herd. The last two on this farm to abort 
did so either in December 1883 and January 1884, or in January and February 
1884 respectively, in different sheds, of which he has three, in all of which 
abortions have taken place and cows have gone their full time. 
Mr. U. takes his cows up in October. They are allowed to graze a short 
time daily during November (if mild), but not afterwards. He then feeds 
them with straw, turoips, lick (ground corn and chafi') and cake till late in 
spring, when they get hay. They go out, to drink only, daily. This water 
is the only instance in this series of cases which is open to suspicion. The 
supply is from surface drainage into a pond; it is plentiful in winter, but 
scanty and odoriferous in summer. 
Here are two cases, one of which occurred in January or February, the 
animals getting neither hay nor grass after November. As they were in 
different sheds, infection was not likely to be the cause ; neither from our 
present knowledge can we attribute it to ergot from the grass ; nor do I like 
to suggest that it might have been in the cake or meal, though some writers 
have lately called attention to the frequency with which wheat is ergotised. 
1 have never found it in wheat, though I admit never having sought for it 
there, but shall do so. 
The abortion might have been caused by injuries or other incidental 
affections, but we have no evidence of it. 
Mr. U., formerly a firm believer in the infectiousness of this malady, but, 
from his own experience, now a waverer, inclines to the opinion that these 
cases might have been caused by the turnips which had become heated and 
had sprouted. Such might have been the cause, but I have no reasons 
founded, either on theory or experience, to support it. I am unable to clear 
up these cases satisfactorily to myself. 
With respect to the infection supposed to have been conveyed from this 
farm to Farms 15 and 16. The last case of abortion on this farm took place 
in January or February 1884. On April 12th, 1884, Mr. U. sold the animals 
mentioned under Case 15 to Mr. I. Tlie newly-calvcn cow had gone her 
time ; the barrcner, which Mr. I. suspected fis the cause of conveying infection 
to his herd, had calved a living full-time calf some four months previously. 
I think we must admit that the suspected source of infection was merely a 
supposition. 
Itespecting No. 16, Mr. V. N. bought from Mr. U., in April 1885, three 
laying-o£f calvers, one of which aborted in May. That she could be cai)able 
