o!6 INTERIM REPORT ON VETERINARY INVESTIGATIONS. 
maining pig was fed with linseed cake throughout the month 
of August and down to September 10th, when the use of the 
cake was discontinued. Its relish for the food was very variable; 
thus, for a day or two together it would readily eat 2 lbs., and 
sometimes 2J lbs. of cake; while on other days it could 
scarcely be tempted to take half the quantity. Notwith¬ 
standing this, the animal thrived well, and at the end of the 
experiment was in excellent condition, contrasting favorably 
in this respect with the pigs fed on Hardon's cake. 
These experiments of feeding pigs fully confirm the conclu¬ 
sion arrived at in the case of the heifer, as to the non-exist¬ 
ence of anything positively poisonous in Hardon’s cake. They 
also confirm the deduction that linseed cake given in the 
same proportion to the other food of the animals is a better 
feeding material than the samples of Hardon's cake supplied 
for the experiments. 
VI .—Disease of Lambs* 
With reference to the resolution of the Council, at its 
meeting on November 1st, 1871, relative to the serious losses 
which many farmers had sustained, especially in Lincolnshire, 
from disease among their lambs, I have to report that the 
investigation, then ordered by the Council, has been carried 
out as far as the period of the year would permit. The dis¬ 
ease alluded to has long since attracted attention, and from 
time to time engaged the investigations of scientific men. 
Essentially the affection is due to the existence of matured 
parasitic worms within the bronchial tubes of the lamb, 
which ultimately produce structural disease of the lungs of 
the animal, by the myriads of young worms to which they as 
parents give birth. Of late years the disease has been largely 
on the increase, from causes which are but imperfectly under¬ 
stood, and which it would seem can only be elucidated by 
further investigation into the natural history of the worm. 
So far as the structure and means of direct propagation of 
the parasite are concerned, here appears to be but little to 
add to our present knowledge. The researches into its 
natural history, as far as they have gone, would, however, 
seem to lead to the conclusion that the young, or embryotic, 
worms are fitted for propagation of their species to a great 
extent rather out of than within the air passages of the 
animal. 
Indeed, it may hereafter be shown that it is essential to 
the ultimate sexual development of the worms, that in their 
