Annual Report of the Royal Veterinary College. 123 
in Yorkshire, on account of which two visits were made to the farm. 
The disease occurred in a small herd chiefly composed of pedigree 
Shorthorns. 
The first case appeared in October 1888 in an Irish heifer 
recently purchased. Nothing further happened until 1889, when 
in February a second case appeared, and from that time the disease 
continued to prevail up to the day of the visit. During the three 
years embraced in the inquiry, thirty-five cows have been pregnant, 
and of this number nineteen, or over fifty-four per cent., have aborted. 
Of the nineteen mishaps, three occurred in 1889, two in 1890, and 
fourteen in 1891. The prevalence of the disease during the three 
years is shown in the following table: — 
Table shcmina the Number of Abortions oceurrinn in each month during the 
Years 1889-91. 
— 
188D 
1890 
1391 
Total 
January .... 


— 
— 
February .... 
1 
— 
1 
2 
March 
1 
... 
2 
3 
April 
1 

2 
3 
May 
— 
1 
1 
2 
June 
— 
— 
1 
1 
July 
— 
— 
— 
— 
August 
— 
— 
1 
1 
September .... 
— 
1 
4 
6 
October 
— 
— 
1 
1 
November .... 
— 
— 
— 
December .... 
— 
— 
1 
1 
Total 
3 
2 
14 
19 
Twelve bulls have been used in the herd .since March 1889 ; 
abortion has followed the use of eight of them. During each of the 
three years while the disease prevailed on the farm in question 
cows belonging to neighbouring farmers "were repeatedly being 
brought to one or other of the several bulls ; and notwithstanding 
that no special measures of protection were resorted to, no extension 
of the disease to neighbouring herds took place in any case. 
Age does not appear to have exercised any material influence 
over the disorder, for it was found that animals at all periods of life, 
from two to ten years old, were victims of the mishap. If we divide 
them into groups, taking those from two to five years old and com- 
paring the|incidence of the disease as it occurred in others from six to 
ten years, the relative prevalence of the disorder in the two sets of 
animals is as 55 to 33 per cent. It has, however, to be remembered 
that the herd was made up largely of young stock, and consequently 
a greater number between the ages of two and five were exposed to 
the inducing cause. Had the numbers in the two groups been 
equal, the percentage rate might have been difierent. 
