liv 
Monthly Council, April 4, 1894. 
Britain, but four suspected animals were 
slaughtered and found on post-mortem ex- 
amination to be free from the disease. 
Swixe Fever. — Up to the present time 
there appears to be no decrease in the num- 
berof pigs dying of swine fever or slaughtered 
as being diseased or having been exposed to 
the risk of infection. According to the 
Gazelle returns, 758 pigs died of swine fever 
in the four weeks, 5,549 were slaughtered 
either as diseased or in-contact animals, and 
58 suspected swine were slaughtered, but 
found on post-mortem to be free from swine 
fever. 
Anthrax. — From the recently published 
returns, anthrax still maintains its higher 
rate of prevalence this year as compared with 
previous years. There were 57 fresh out- 
breaks in four weeks, and 99 animals attacked, 
as compared with 34 outbreaks and 02 
animals attacked in 1893, and 19 outbreaks 
and 28 animals attacked in 1892. 
Glanders (including Farcy). — The 
returns relating to these still continue below 
the average of the past two or three years. 
There have been 79 fresh outbreaks this year 
in the four weeks, and 104 horses attacked, 
as compared with 107 outbreaks aud 177 
horses attacked in the corresponding period 
of last year. 
Rabies. — There have been nine eases of 
this disease reported in four weeks in the 
counties of Cornwall, Lancaster, York 
(W.R.), and Lanark. 
Abortion in Cattle. 
Colonel Curtis-Hayward said he 
was unfortunately unable to be 
present at the meeting of the Special 
Committee on Abortion in Cattle last 
Monday, but he suggested that before 
the leaflet was issued the Society 
should make an addition to it. They 
would be recognising, by the issue of 
that leaflet, that there was a presump- 
tion in favour of the disease being 
infectious, while apparently it sug- 
gested no precautions to be taken in 
regard to the aborted fcetus. In his 
part of the country it was the practice 
to put the fruits of the abortion upon 
the nearest dung-heap. He had a 
letter from a gentleman in Somerset- 
shire to say that in his county it was 
the custom to simply leave the foetus 
in the field to rot and to pollute the air. 
If an infectious disease was the source 
of abortion, he would like to suggest 
an addition to the effect that special 
precautions should be taken with the 
foetus, and, if possible, to say that it 
should be burned. 
Professor Brown said the precau- 
tion Colonel Curtis - Hayward sug- 
gested was so perfectly obvious that 
it had not occurred to any member of 
the Committee to advise it. There 
was, of course, no objection to the 
proposed addition, if it was thought 
desirable. If it was true that the 
practice still continued of allowing 
the foetus to lie rotting in the field, 
then it certainly would be advisable 
add some suggestion as to the 
immediate and proper disposal of the 
aborted fcetus and the disinfection 
of the premises. 
The Hon. C. T. PARKER considered 
it would be most desirable to 
to have the addition made to the 
leaflet, because he knew that the 
practice of a great many farmers that 
he had seen was to throw the foetus 
of cows that had aborted on to the 
dung-heap, where it was allowed to 
lie in all stages of putrefaction. 
Mr. Pell thought it was universally 
known that every precaution should 
be taken in regard to animals that 
had slipped their young, and as to the 
premises in which the accident 
happened. He therefore hoped that 
if any suggestions were made to 
farmers and agriculturists generally, 
it would be explained that they were 
made in consequence of local ignor- 
ance or misconception on the subject ; 
otherwise it might be taken as an 
extraordinary piece of advice coming 
from that Society. 
Sir Nigel Kingscote said that 
the evidence already taken before the 
Special Committee had been most 
strongly to the effect that the disease 
was very infectious, and he could not 
help thinking, therefore, that the 
suggested addition was most desir- 
able. 
After further discussion, it was 
arranged that an addition to the 
circular, drawn up by Professor 
Brown, should be made in accordance 
with Col. Curtis - Hayward's sug- 
gestion, and the issue of the leaflet 
was accordingly authorised in the 
following form : — 
PREVENTION OP EriZOOTIC ABORTION IN COWS. 
From the evidence which has recently been 
brought to the notice of the Society, it is 
considered desirable to recommend to the 
special attention of stockowners, in whose 
herds abortion has appeared, the system of 
preventive treatment, which is described in 
the following quotation from the article on 
Abortion in the Society’s Journal, Yol. II., 
Part IY., 1891, page 738. 
The plan which Professor Nocard re- 
commends to be used in cow-sheds and 
premises in which epizootic abortion 
occurs year by year is the following 
