Annual Report of the Royal Veterindry College. 141 
cavities of the heart). Is readily spread by mediate and immediate con- 
tagion. Fatality 50 to 75 per cent., or even more. Lesions revealed at 
post-mortem are — enlargement of the spleen; acute inflammation of the 
mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, with minute spots of 
blood; inflammation of the liver, heart, and muscles ; inflammation of the 
kidneys with effusion of blood. Lungs in general free from pneumonic 
lesions, but congested ; and no diphtheritic inflammation or formation of 
“ ringed ” ulcers in the large intestine. 
In concluding this note it may be as well to give one or two 
illustrations to show what a formidable plague swine erysipelas is 
in some foreign countries. In a monograph published by Lydtin and 
Schottelius on this disease it is stated that in the year 1884 the total 
number of pigs in the Grand Duchy of Baden was 393,244, and of 
that number no fewer than 12,564 were attacked with swine 
erysipelas ; 2,923 of these succumbed to the disease, 8,218 were 
slaughtered, and 1,423 recovered. These authors quote many 
examples illustrating its highly contagious and infectious character, 
and show that it spreads not only by direct contact between 
diseased and healthy pigs, but also with great readiness by in- 
termediate infection, butchers, pig-dealers, and castrators very 
frequently acting as agents for the dissemination of the disease. 
In France also the disease is very common. Thus, in the two 
months of November and December 1892, over 100 outbreaks of the 
disease were reported. But perhaps the figures which are of 
greatest interest are those furnished regarding the occurrence of 
swine erysipelas in Denmark. A few years ago the disease was 
almost unknown in that country, but at the present time it prevails 
to an alarming extent. Thus, in 1887 there were reported 387 
cases; in 1888, 786 cases; in 1889, 1,019 cases; in 1890, 1,372 cases; 
and in 1892, 2,146 cases. 
There is no reason to suppose that the disease is at the present 
time anything like so prevalent in Great Britain as swine-fever, 
but the foregoing figures regarding its rapid development in 
Denmark are sufficient warning of what may happen here if 
measures against it are not immediately taken under the Contagious 
Diseases (Animals) Act. For a long time past swine from Denmark 
could only be landed in Great Britain for slaughter at the place of 
landing. 
Yew Poisoning. 
In view of the conflict of evidence regarding the poisonous effects 
of yew leaves, Professor Brown deemed it advisable to have some 
experiments with animals of different species carried out at the Royal 
Veterinary College. It cannot be said that the results yet throw 
much light on the matter ; but so far as they go they appear to indi- 
cate that the poisonous alkaloid is very unequally distributed in 
the leaves. 
Experiment I . — A full-grown sheep ate in twenty-four hours 
14 oz. of the half -dried leaves, and two days later it ate other 
6 oz. No effect whatever was observable. 
