REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON 
ABORTION IN CATTLE. 
The Special Committee appointed by the Council to inquire into the 
subject of Abortion in Cattle 1 beg to report that, immediately on their 
appointment, instructions were given for the issue of circular letters, 
(1 j to the Society’s Provincial Veterinary Surgeons in each county, 
and (2) to a large number of owners of live stock, asking for statistics 
and information respecting their experience in connexion with this 
disorder, and in reply to these a considerable body of valuable 
information was received. 
2 . The Committee met for the first time to take evidence on 
Monday, March 5, 1894, and took further evidence on Monday, 
April 2, and Monday, April 30. In the course of their sittings, they 
examined the following ten witnesses, including stockowners whose 
herds had suffered from abortion, and veterinary surgeons who had 
had experience in dealing with the disease, viz. — 
1. Mb. Clement Stephenson, F.R.C.V.S., Newcastle-on-Tyne. 
2. Mr. James Peter, Agent to Lord Fitzhardinge, of Berkeley 
Castle. 
3. Mr. Frank Booth, M.R.C.V.S., of Abergele (the Society’s 
Provincial Veterinary Surgeon for Carnarvon and Denbigh). 
4. Mr. John Denchfield, Burston House, Aylesbury (stock- 
owner). 
5. Professor McFadyean, M.B., B.Sc., F.R.S.E., Dean of the 
Royal Veterinary College. 
6. Dr. Sims Woodhead, M.D., F.R.S.E., Director of the Labor- 
atories of the Conjoint Board of the Royal Colleges of Physicians 
and Surgeons. 
7. Mr. Robert Hickes, F.R.C. V.S., Market Weighton. 
8. Professor Penberthy, F.R.C. V.S., Royal Veterinary College. 
9. Professor J. Wortley Axe, M.R.C.V.S. 
10. Col. Curtis Hayward, Quedgeley, Gloucester. 
1 Extract from the Proceedings of the Council, Wednesday, February 7, 
1894. — The Report of the Veterinary Committee having been received and 
adopted, it was resolved, on the recommendation of the Committee, to appoint 
a Special Committee to inquire into the subject of Abortion in Cattle, such 
Committee to be empowered to collect evidence from stock-breeders and from 
veterinary surgeons, both by the issue of circulars of inquiry, and by the 
calling of witnesses, and to be instructed to report as to the advisability of 
experiments with breeding animals being undertaken by the Society. Agree- 
ably with the recommendation of the Veterinary Committee, the Special Com- 
mittee was constituted of Sir John Thorold, the Hon. C. T. Parker, Sir Nigel 
Kingscote, Col. Curtis Hayward, Mr. Garrett Taylor, Professors Brown, Axe, 
and McFadyean, and Dr. Sims Woodhead, with power to add to their number. 
[Mr. Clement Stephenson. F.R.C. V.S., added to the Committee, March 5, 1894.] 
