642 
LECTURE ON THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 
disease which is so prevalent, and from which we are suffering 
such ravages. It is not a trifling matter to contemplate that which 
has baffled almost all attempts hitherto made to arrest its progress. 
But it strikes me that the efforts which have been made have not 
been made in the right direction ; that we have all been looking 
at the disease medically, and seeking to arrest the results, instead 
of removing the cause which produced it. We must look first at 
the condition of the animal which is infected ; secondly, at the con- 
dition which the two bear relatively to each other ; and further, we 
must inquire what classes of animals have suffered the least, and 
why they have suffered the least ; and by this means we must 
endeavour to ascertain whether the carrying out of plans which 
have been productive of good in one animal may not be equally 
productive of good in another, if followed out on the same broad 
and general principles. For the reason stated by the chairman, I 
feel myself in some measure tied on entering into a subject which 
is a very favourite one with me, and upon which I had prepared a 
good deal of matter to lay before you on this occasion ; and under- 
standing that I shall be prevented by the rules from dealing with 
any previous matter, I trust you will pardon me if I do not enter 
into that so fully as I had intended to do. 
There are two distinct branches of the subject — one, the epi- 
demic considered in itself as a disease ; the other, that general 
condition or management for which we have not a word in the 
language, but which may be called "the science of hygiene,” or the 
doctrine of health, and its preservation. This latter is a subject 
which has been long treated on the continent, though greatly 
neglected in this kingdom, and it is one of essential importance. 
I think we shall find, on examination, that as much mortality 
arises amongst animals from the want of attention to the preserva- 
tion of health as from disease itself (hear, hear). If I may judge 
from my own observation and experience in this matter, I should 
say positively that such is the fact. But, in order to be quite 
within the mark, let us take a smaller proportion — a fifth or a sixth. 
If you suppose that the entire loss is 10 per cent. — and it has been 
estimated at 15 — if you take a fifth of that amount as being pre- 
served, that will, of course, make two out of every ten. I have here 
a table giving something like an approximate estimate of the num- 
bers of cattle, sheep, hogs, and horses in Great Britain. I esti- 
mate the cattle (that is, bulls, cows, oxen, heifers, steers, and 
calves over three months old) at 8,000,000 ; sheep of all descrip- 
tions (that is, rams, ewes, wethers, tegs, and lambs over three 
months old) at 50,000,000 ; hogs (that is, boars, sows, store pigs, 
and pigs over two months old) at 12,000,000 ; horses (that is, 
stallions, brood mares, geldings, mares in work, colts and fillies 
