The Beeline of Wheat-Growing in England. 811 
protect even horses against lock-jaw by the use of what is termed a 
chemical vaccine, and the blood-serum of horses thus protected has 
been found capable of conferring immunity when injected into other 
animals. But, what is still more remarkable, and pregnant with pro- 
mise of the most beneficial results to both man and the lower ani- 
mals, it has been discovered that the blood-serum of horses thus arti- 
ficially rendered immune against lock-jaw is actually curative when 
injected into animals affected with tetanus. 
Even, however, when the discovery of the cause of disease has not 
yet been followed by the discovery of anything of the nature of a 
protective or curative vaccine, our position to-day is infinitely better 
than it was formerly. Take, for example, the case of tuberculosis. 
It is a melancholy truth that we know of no certain cure for that 
disease, and no means of vaccinating against it ; but the discovery of 
Koch’s bacillus and the study of its life-history have given us clear 
notions regarding the manner in which the disease is spread, and 
have indicated the way to limit its ravages — possibly even to stamp 
it out of existence. 
It would hardly be right to conclude without making reference 
to an event which is likely to exercise an important influence on the 
teaching and study of veterinary pathology in this country, namely, 
the founding of a Chair of Comparative Pathology in the Royal 
Veterinary College by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 
The study of veterinary pathology is deserving of every encourage- 
ment, because it arms us for the struggle with the diseases of the do- 
mesticated animals. But there is an additional incentive in the re- 
flection that a more accurate knowledge regarding animal diseases is 
sure to shed a fuller light on the nature of certain affections of man 
himself. All honour is therefore due to the Royal Agricultural 
Society for its foresight in encouraging the study of this important 
branch of medical science, and for doing what in nearly every other 
civilised country has been accepted as a duty of the State. 
J. McFapyean. 
THE DECLINE OF WHEAT-GROWING IN 
ENGLAND. 
To w hat extent it is true that England is ceasing to be a wheat- 
growing country is a circumstance that can best be ascertained by 
a careful study of the Agricultural Returns issued by the Board of 
Agriculture. These afford the means not only of determining what 
shrinkage has taken place in the aggregate wheat area of the 
country, but also of localising to a very considerable degree the 
districts wherein fluctuations of the wdieat area are most apparent. 
At the outset it may be w^ell to emphasise the fact that though 
an inquiry of this kind may be usefully extended so as to embrace 
the whole of the United Kingdom (including the Isle of Man and 
