410 ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
tion of the agricultural body to this subject in their last 
report, they should now have been enabled to congratulate the 
Council on the large increase of patients of this class which 
had taken place. Every member of the Society being entitled 
to all the privileges of a subscriber to the College, in as far as 
the admission of cattle, sheep, and pigs is concerned, removes 
all ground of objection on the score of expense ; and the 
Governors believe that the sole cause of the fewness in 
number of the patients depends rather on the forgetfulness 
of the members of these privileges than anything else. 
Consultations and Communications . — If the admission of dis- 
eased cattle to the infirmary has not materially differed from 
former years, the consultations by letter and otherwise have, 
on the contrary, greatly increased. From all parts of the 
country communications have been forwarded to the College, 
detailing the particulars of special cases, and asking advice as 
to the treatment of the affected animals. Much of the 
Professor’s time has been occupied in replying to these letters, 
and he has often had the satisfaction of learning that great 
good had resulted from the instructions which were given 
relative to the hygienic as well as the medical treatment of 
the animals in question. 
Veterinary Inspection . — During the past year, and probably 
arising in part from the increased number of communications, 
the members of the Society have not asked for the personal 
inspection by Professor Simonds of the animals suffering from 
disease on their respective farms so frequently as on former 
occasions. The Governors desire to see this bond of con- 
nection between the two institutions extended and strength- 
ened by a more frequent use; and they would suggest to the 
Council whether a modification of its rules relating to these 
inspections might not be advantageously adopted. Next to 
the admission of patients, these inspections afford the surest 
means of practically advancing cattle pathology. At the 
annual meeting of the Society at Carlisle, the general in- 
spection of the animals was made as heretofore, and with 
much benefit to the interests of the Society, as several cases 
of illness and accident also occurred during the days of the 
meeting. Besides these circumstances, some of the animals 
had to be disqualified, from wrong entries with regard to 
their age, and others from the existence of hereditary diseases 
and defects. 
Epizootics . — The chief of these maladies have been pleuro- 
pneumonia and eczema, both of which have prevailed in 
several parts of the country, the first-named with its usual 
severity. As stated in a former report, pleuro-pneumonia 
