XXX 
Monthly Council, February 7 , 1891 . 
10. Have you observed that cows served by 
a particular bull were specially liable to 
abortion ? 
11. Have you had any experience of abor- 
tion in mares or ewes ? 
12. Have you tried the preventive mea- 
sures recommended in the Society’s Journal 
(Vol. II., 1891, page 739), or any other 
method of treatment ? and, if so, with what 
result ? 
13. Would you be willing to allow any ex- 
perimental treatment to be adopted in your 
herd ? 
14. Any general observations likely to 
prove useful for the purposes of the inquiry. 
The Veterinary Department of the 
Board of Agriculture. 
Mr. Dent said he desired to say a 
few words with reference to the 
reports as to the contagious diseases 
of animals which they had been 
accustomed to receive regularly 
fromthe Board of Agriculture, through 
Professor Brown. The Veterinary 
Committee of the Council were in- 
debted to Professor Brown for the 
great care which he had always 
exhibited in connection with these 
reports ; and the kindly relations 
which had always existed between 
the Committee and the Veterinary 
Department were a source of great 
satisfaction. There were rumours 
that an alteration was about to be 
made in that Department, and it was 
uncertain at the present moment 
whether Professor Brown was still at 
the head of that Department, or what 
was his exact position. It was not, 
however, their business to express 
opinions, or to make statements to 
the Departments of the Government 
as to whom they should appoint, or 
how they should fill up vacancies in 
their offices. He had only to say on 
the part of the Veterinary Committee, 
and he was sure on the part of the 
Council, that they sincerely trusted 
that a gentleman of equal profes- 
sional eminence, and with the same 
kindly and judicious manner as had 
characterised Professor Brown, would 
be appointed to the vacancy. He 
hoped and trusted that they might 
find that to be the case, and that the 
relations of the Veterinary Committee 
with the Board of Agriculture might 
be as cordial in the future as they 
had been in the past. 
The Duke of Richmond and Gor- 
don said that, beiDg deeply concerned 
in the welfare of agriculture, he took 
the very greatest interest in the 
Veterinary Department of the Board 
of Agriculture, partly, perhaps, because 
he had had the satisfaction of placing 
that Department upon its present foot- 
ing when he was Lord President of the 
Privy Council about the year 1878. 
And having appointed Professor 
Brown, Mr. Cope, and Mr. Duguid to 
their present offices, he should like to 
take that public opportunity of ex- 
pressing his thanks tj those three 
gentlemen for the very admirable 
manner in which, since that time and 
up to now, they had carried out the 
duties of the Department. The agri- 
culturists of the country were deeply 
indebted to them. Those duties bad 
been carried out in a remarkably able 
and zealous manner, and he should 
be very sorry if, in any change which 
took place, the administration of the 
Department should be varied from 
that which had existed so loDg. 
Mainly owing to the exertions of that 
Department and of those who had 
been at the head of it, cattle plague 
had been stamped out, pleuro-pneu- 
monia (as they had just heard in the 
report of the Veterinary Committee) 
no longer existed in this country, and 
foot-and-mouth disease had been 
entirely eradicated. (Cheers.) It 
seemed to him that it was absolutely 
essential that the Veterinary Depart- 
ment should continue to be officered 
in the same manner as in the past. 
Mr. Dent had stated that it was no 
business of theirs to dictate to the 
Board of Agriculture what they should 
do ; but, at the same time, he (the 
Duke) thought that, as practical agri- 
culturists, they might express their 
opinion upon this very important 
subject, and in a manner which, he 
hoped, might reach the ears of the 
President of the Board of Agriculture. 
Professor Brown's impending retire- 
ment, under the rules of the public 
service, had been known to that 
Department since the beginning of 
last year, but they had not yet heard 
of any person being appointed as his 
successor. Up to the present time 
there had been three professional 
officers at the head of the Veterinary 
Department, organising the work, and 
having their time fully occupied with 
their public duties. Professor Brgwn 
having ceased his connection with 
