314 Annnnl lieport nf tlio Royal Veterinary College on their 
course of the disease tlie animal occupies the recumbent posture, with the 
head turned towards the flank. The breathing is somewhat quickened, and 
a prolonged grant is emitted with each expiration. The expression of the 
face soon becomes dull and anxious, tliere is a discharge of saliva from the 
mouth, the coat stares, the skin is sensitive, and great prostration is shown 
by knuckling over of the hind fetlock joints and trailing the limbs. The 
temperature varies from day to day, as shown by the following Table : — 
D.ite 
No. 1. 
Bull Calf 
No. 2. 
Bull Calf 
No. 3. 
Cow Calf 
May 21 
102° 
102° 
102° 
„ 22 
103° 
104° 
102S° 
„ 23 
1031° 
104?° 
1025° 
„ 21 
102^° 
103!i° 
1031° 
„ 25 
102° 
1041° 
1032° 
„ 20 
101° 
104|° 
102|° 
» 27 
1022° 
1021° 
102|° 
The vagina is red and congested, and the fiscal di-scharges excoriate the 
thighs. There is considerable weakness across the loins, and the hair falls 
olf the neck and quarters. Paroxysms of abdominal pain are followed by 
intervals of ease. 
Facts relating to Use of Peat. — German peat-moss litter is used largely, 
and the manure from the sheds, &c., where it is in use is distributed daily 
upon grass-land. When the calves were attacked, it was thought that per- 
haps the heavy dressings of this manure might have affected the cows. In 
order fully to test this, a small paddock was manured with an extra heavy 
dose, and as soon as the grass began to show through (about a week) three 
down-calving cows were put into the paddock and kept there until they 
calved. The calves were perfectly healthy and remained so. 
Facts relating to Use of Foiol-Manure. — There is a large fowl-house on 
the farm, holding 80 to 100 fowls. Peat-moss is used in the fowl-houses, 
and when this had to be renewed the manure that was removed had been 
up to the time of the outbreak spread upon a grass paddock into which the 
in-calf cows were placed, in turn with other paddocks. But as the particular 
piece of land upon which the fowl-manure was spread is very dry and shel- 
tered, and open only to the south, the cows, in cold weather, were turned 
out there more frequently than anywhere else. 
Facts relating to Bryonia. — In the same paddock ou which the fowl- 
manure was used, some old hedge-banks had been removed. In all the 
banks in the neighbourhood Bryonia is a common plant. The roots of 
Bryony are found at a very great depth below the surface, and therefore 
the removal of the banks did not kill the roots, and the plant was found 
growing on all the places from which hedges had been removed. A very 
common weed which flourishes on all waste spots is the Stinking Chamomile 
{Matricaria chamomilla). Cattle do not touch this plant when at its full 
growth ; it is a question, however, whether in the early spring, when the 
plant first appears, cattle glad to get a bit of fre.sh green food may not 
nibble it ; but we have no proof that they do, or that, if they do, they or their 
calves would suffer. This cannot be ascertained until the plant again com- 
mences to grow. 
Health of Cows. — At the time when the outbreak in question arose in the 
calves, and during its progress up to the date of the inspection, none of the 
cows whose calves had suffered from the disease had been in the least out of 
health. 
This opinion, formed from general observation, was confirmed by the 
