Report of the Special Committee on Abortion in Cattle. 317 
Recommendations. 
21 . So far as the inquiry has extended, the Committee believe 
that they are justified in making the following recommendations : — 
I. For practical purposes, and with a view to the adoption of 
the necessary precautions, the disease should be deemed to be con- 
tagious. 
II. For the purposes of prevention, strict sanitary precautions, 
including habitual cleansing and disinfection of places where breed- 
ing cows are kept, should be insisted on, and particular attention 
should be paid to the character of the food and the water with 
which the animals are supplied. 
III. The treatment by the aid of antiseptics of cows which have 
aborted is certainly to be recommended ; and the evidence which 
has been already furnished in favour of the use of a solution of bi- 
chloride of mercury, as described in the leaflet already issued (see 
page liv) appears to the Committee to justify the advocacy of its 
general employment in every case where the disease presents itself in 
a herd. It may be advisable to state that, in view of its poisonous 
nature, it is necessary to guard against any injurious consequences 
arising to pigs or poultry from the careless disposal of the sweepings 
from the sheds in which this disinfectant has been used. 
IV. On the question of experiments for the purpose of proving 
whether or not the disease is of a contagious character, the Committee 
do not feel justified in advising the Society to expend a large sum 
of money in this direction. At the same time, it is impossible not 
to realise that a decision on this point is a matter of very consider- 
able importance ; and the Committee recommend that an addi- 
tional sum of 200Z. be placed at the disposal of the Veterinary 
Committee for the purpose of further scientific investigations into 
the causes of abortion in cattle. 
J. H. Thorold, 
Chairman. 
June 4tli, 1894. 
VOL. V. T. S. — 18 
Y 
