428 
WEST OF SCOTLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 
On the 4th ult., the members of the West of Scotland Veterinary Medi¬ 
cal Association met at the Glasgow Institution Rooms. Mr. Steele, V.S., 
.Biggar, President of the Society, took the chair; and after some private 
business, and the election of a new member, Mr. M’Hougall, Veterinary 
Surgeon, Old Kilpatrick, addressed the meeting as follows : 
The subject I have selected for a lew remarks and the present discussion, 
is pleuro-pneumonia-epizootica in cattle, the origin, nature, and cure of 
which are as yet surrounded in mystery. Pleuro-pneumonia is generally 
believed to have a foreign origin, and to have been brought to this country 
by the importation of infected cattle. It made its appearance in Ireland, in 
1841, but whether it was imported by cattle, or originated spontaneously, 
as many epizootics are supposed to do, is as yet a matter of some doubt. 
Our Australian friends, I believe, are of opinion that it was on account of 
our exports to that country of infected cattle that they now suffer from its 
ravages. Without doubting their assertion, we well know that when it is 
once located in a district, it is not generally got rid off without reminding 
us of its fatality; hence we find that in Ireland many thousands of cattle 
became its victims, and it soon extended its ravages to England; and in a 
very short time after it appeared in England, I was called, along with 
another veterinary surgeon, to examine a cow in our own district, which, 
according to the owner’s statement, had been attacked by an unusual and 
peculiar disorder. Our attention having been attracted some time previous 
m the Veterinarian to the symptoms of the malady, we had no difficulty in 
diagnosing this first case to be of the same nature as those which were 
described in this valuable periodical, and, as far as I am aware, it was the 
first case that had occurred in Scotland. The case proved fatal, and upon a 
i post-mortem inspection our opinion was too truly verified as to the nature 
of the disease. How the first case, in my opinion, originated admits of an 
explanation. The farm of Drumchaple, where this case occurred, is situated 
about six miles west of Glasgow, having the Eorth and Clyde Canal passing 
through the farm, and it was discovered that at the time of breaking out of 
this case a vessel partially loaded with foreign hides, on her passage upwards 
through the canal, was detained at this part where the cows were grazing. 
I am of opinion that the epidemic poison was in all probability emitted from 
these foreign hides and breathed by the cattle, thus originating the disease 
amongst the farmer’s stock. New cases occurred daily in the farmer’s 
stock, which consisted of from twelve to fourteen cows, all the cases proving 
fatal, leaving only one living cow, which was considered never to have been 
attacked by the disorder. The disease spread rapidly in the surrounding 
country, and generally there was some medium of communication to account 
for its propagation. Having made these remarks, I will now shortly detail 
the symptoms of the disease; and as you are all well versed in them already, 
I will only mention a few of the more prominent of them :—Loss of 
appetite ; entire suspension or diminution of the lacteal secretion if the cow 
is in milk; the breathing is much quickened, accompanied with a heaving at 
the flanks; the pulse is generally small and rapid, though sometimes it is full 
and strong; cough is generally an early symptom, though sometimes itis absent 
till the disease has made considerable progress ; the nose is poked out; the 
muzzle dry ; the mouth hot. As the disease advances there is an abundant 
flow of saliva; when the spine is compressed much pain is evinced, and 
the animal gives a distressed grunt or moan; the back becomes arched; 
