TRANSLATIONS FROM CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 371 
pneumonia much better than one which has the opposite 
conformation. In the first the products of excess of nutri¬ 
tion will find ample space for deposition. It is well known 
that on most farms the stock in winter is very lean. It is in 
the month of March that those destined for the butcher are 
sold for the purpose of being fattened, and for this intent 
they are put into the best pastures. It is also to be remem¬ 
bered that, while in a state of emaciation, the animals are 
exposed to a sudden change from innutritious to highly 
stimulating food, which predisposes them to exudations into 
the lungs, more particularly when they are allowed to feed 
at discretion. If farmers were more careful in feeding their 
cattle during the winter, and preventing the sudden transi¬ 
tion from a sparing to an abundant diet, they would be far 
less exposed to the ravages of pleuro-pneumonia. Milch 
cows, when in full milk, are more exempt, as the secretion of 
milk carries off the excess of nutritive matter, which under 
different circumstances would be eliminated by pulmonary 
exudations. This shows how difficult is the study of the 
etiology of pleuro-pneumonia. 
The author has not the pretension to think that his ideas 
are "without objection, as he is well aware that pleuro-pneu¬ 
monia has made its appearance under all conditions of 
feeding and management, but these exceptions have been 
but few, and it has been observed that in them the exuda¬ 
tion is very slow. It is also in these cases that a cure is 
more easily effected, and under these circumstances it is that 
the malady assumes its sporadic form. It is very rare that 
during winter the stock of the farm is attacked; that is, if 
on short allowance. If, however, the affection does make its 
appearance, it ought to be ascribed to other morbific causes, 
such as the sudden suppression of the functions of the skin 
or some other analogous occurrence. 
In the foregoing views contagion has not been mentioned, 
but it is far from the author's intention to deny this mode of 
the transmission of pleuro-pneumonia. Such would be op¬ 
posing the unanimous opinion of the most learned men in 
the veterinary profession. The author, nevertheless, main¬ 
tains, without fear of contradiction, that this malady is mostly 
spontaneous, but becomes transmissible, as has been proved 
by undeniable facts. Nevertheless, this propagating power 
is often very weak, for in some sheds, containing fifteen or 
twenty head of cattle, one or two only take the disease, 
although not the slightest precaution is adopted to pre¬ 
vent its propagation. Many times the author has witnessed 
these facts, and on this subject he does not find much con- 
