XXIX 
Abortion in Cattle. 
Professor Brown had presented the 
following report : — 
Pleuropneumonia. — Xo case of this dis- 
ease has been discovered in this country 
since the early part of November. During 
the past year there were 9 fresh out- 
breaks in 5 counties; 30 diseased cattle 
and 1,157 healthy ones which had .been ex- 
posed to the risk of infection were slaugh- 
tered by order of the Board of Agriculture, 
in addition to 86 suspected cattle, which, on 
post-mortem examination were found free 
from the disease. 
Swine Fever. — From November 1 up to 
January 27, 1,645 pigs died from this disease 
in Great Britain ; 9,607 were slaughtered 
by order of the Board of Agriculture as 
diseased, or having been exposed to infec- 
tion, and 152 suspected were slaughtered, 
but found, on post mortem examination, to 
be free from the disease. 
Anthrax.— Returns of this disease were 
received from 68 counties in Great Britain 
last year, as compared with 60 in 1892, 50 in 
1891, and 48 in 1890. The increase in the 
number of outbreaks of anthrax, which 
began early last year and continued through- 
out the year, is still going on. In the four 
weeks ended January 27 there were 56 
fresh outbreaks reported and 115 animals 
attacked, as compared with 35 outbreaks 
and 92 animals attacked in the correspond- 
ing four weeks of 1893. 
Rabies. — This disease has now for some 
time been on the increase. During the past 
year there were 93 cases, as compared with 
40 in 1892. In the first four weeks of the 
present year there have been 13 cases, as 
compared with 9 in the corresponding 
period of last year. 
Outbreak on Loud Middleton's Es- 
tate. — On December 23 last a request to 
investigate an outbreak of disease on a farm 
belonging to Lord Middleton was addressed 
to the College. The Secretary of the College 
replied that Professor McFadyean doubted 
whether it would be possible to determine 
the nature of the disease before another 
animal was attacked, but that he would 
visit the farm before that if it was thought 
desirable. Since that date Professor McFad- 
yean has been in correspondence with Mr. 
Wright, Lord Middleton’s agent, and it has 
been arranged that he (Professor McFad- 
yean) shall visit the farm on Thursday 
next. No fresh cases have occurred in the 
interval. 
Investigations. — Since the last meeting 
of the Veterinary Committee investigations 
for the members of the Royal Agricultural 
Society have been made regarding the follow- 
ing diseases Mineral poisoning in cattle, 
parasitic enteritis in cattle, braxy in sheep, 
anthrax in horses and cattle, and diarrhoea 
in calves, which will be referred to in detail 
in the Annual Report of the Royal Veterinary 
College. 
Abortion in Cattle. 
Mr. Bent said that as the Treasury 
were unwilliDg to provide funds for 
an investigation by the Government 
into the causes of abortion in cows, 
the Veterinary Committtee, beiDg 
unanimously of the opinion that such 
an inquiry was urgently necessary in 
the general interests of stock-owners, 
had resolved to ask authority from 
the Council for the Society itself 
undertaking an investigation on its 
own account. Following the prece- 
dent of 1876, when the Chemical 
Committee collected some very valu- 
able information on the subject of 
the manurial value of cakes and 
other feeding-stuffs, by means of 
evidence given verbally before it by 
experts, it was proposed that the 
Special Committee to be appointed 
should take evidence from veterina- 
rians and stock-owners, and en- 
deavour in this way to ascertain the 
lines for further inquiry. What they 
now proposed would involve but 
little expense, and if the Special 
Committee should find it necessary 
later on to ask for a grant of money 
for exact scientific investigations 
into the matter, he hoped the Council 
might see its way to vote a sum for 
the purpose. At present, however, 
they only asked for authority to the 
Committee to take evidence, and to 
issue, as a preliminary, circular 
letters of inquiry to those who were 
likely to be able to afford useful 
information. The Committee would 
be much obliged to any member of 
the Society who would kindly give 
information himself, and suggest the 
names of other stock-owners to 
whom the circular might usefully be 
sent. The questions to which an- 
swers were desired were as follows : 
Questions. 
1. During what years have you had experi- 
ence of abortion among your cows ? 
2. What was the total number of cows 
kept and the number that aborted in each 
year ? 
3. At what mouth of gestation did most 
cases occur ? 
4. Did abortion occur among cows at grass 
as well as among those housed ? 
5. What was the nature of the diet of the 
cows during the winter mouths ? 
6. Was it observed that the cows that 
aborted stood near each other in the byre ? 
7. What was generally done with the cows 
that aborted— were they sold or again put to 
the bull ? 
8. Have you observed repeated abortion in 
the same cow ? 
9. Have you formed any opinion regard- 
ing the following as possible causes of the 
abortion in your stock ; — 
Fright or accidental injury, ' 
Ergot in grass or hay, 
Errors in feeding, 
Contagion ? 
