Pleuro-pne^monia. 
Ixxlx 
180 per week, while the number of 
swine attacked weekly has been 
rather over 1,000, about half of 
which have been slaughtered ; the 
greater part of the remainder died ; 
a few recovered ; but week after 
week some GOO or more diseased 
pigs have been left alive, actively 
reproducing the virus of the disease 
to infect others. 
Pleuro-Pneumonia. 
The Earl of Feversham said he 
wished to refer to the large number 
of cattle which from time to time 
were reported from the Veterinary 
Committee as having been slaughtered 
in consequence of outbreaks of pleuro- 
pneumonia. He thought it would be 
very desirable if they could have— 
and no doubt it was given in some 
form, probabl}' by the Government — 
statistics from time to time as to 
the number of healthy cattle, as well 
as cattle affected with the disease, 
that had been slaughtered in the 
country. He knew that compensa- 
tion was given by the Government, 
but at the same time it was a serious 
loss to the country. It was desirable 
that they should not only have 
monthly reports, but quarterly or 
half-yearly returns. 
Mr. Dext stated that 8,000 animals 
had been slaughtered by order of the 
Board of Agriculture in sis months ; 
150,000Z. had been paid in compensa- 
tion, of which only GO.OOOZ. had been 
secured as salvage. He was glad to 
find that the views he had held for 
many years were beginning to receive 
some support, and was charmed to 
think that the President for next year 
was so seriously alarmed. The Board 
of Agriculture appeared determined to 
" stamp out " the disease of pleuro- 
pneumonia by killing all the cattle in 
the country. On the Knavesmire 263 
animals reported to be affected with 
the disease were slaughtered, yet only 
one was said to be affected with 
pleuro-pneumonia. In the neighbour- 
hood of Ripon seventy-nine animals 
were slaughtered, of which only one 
was reported to be affected. It was 
really a very serious matter. Most of 
the animals killed were heifers or 
cows in-calf. One friend of his had 
sixteen cows tinder experiment for 
cross-breeding, every one of which 
was slaughtered in-calf. Fourteen 
others, four-year-old milch cows, 
nearly due to calve, had also been 
ordered to be slaughtered. What 
encouragement was there to farmers 
to breed stock if they were to run 
the risk of having all their breeding 
animals — cows and heifers — swept off 
in this wholesale fashion ? He (Mr. 
Dent) had been in a minority of one 
for a long time ; but he was very 
delighted to think that he would 
have a recruit in the person of the 
President. Before long there would 
be a tremendous outcry on the part 
of breeders and farmers in England 
at the sacrifice that was being made. 
They must not have the idea that 
they were going to stamp out the 
disease by slaughtering. Compara- 
tively no impression was being made 
upon the centres of the disease, 
notwithstanding the rate at which 
cattle were being slaughtered at the 
present time. 
Lord Feyebsham explained that 
he did not wish Mr. Dent to think that 
he was opposed to the system of 
slaughter. He should like some sta- 
tistical account showing the extent 
of the disease — if the monthly reports 
could be condensed into one return 
for the six months. 
Sir John Thorold, in answer to 
Lord Feversham, read the return 
which had been presented to the 
Veterinary Committee by Professor 
Brown on June 3, showing the 
number of animals killed between 
September 1, 1890, when the Pleuro- 
pneumonia Act came into operation, 
and May 23 last, from which it ap- 
peared that the number of diseased 
cattle slaughtered had been reduced, 
but the number of healthy cattle in 
contact slaughtered had been 8,012, 
as against 4,083 (see page Ixis). 
Sir Jacob Wilson said he did not 
think his friend Mr. Dent ought to 
claim any credit for the part he had 
taken in the matter, or feel any great 
pleasure at the justification of the 
support he had given to the non- 
slaughter principle by what had taken 
place lately. But, on the other hand, 
he ventured to think that the Board 
of Agriculture might feel justified in 
what they had done, because they 
were quite within the estimate they 
laid before the House of Commons 
/2 
