EASTERN COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 787 
to resume : the animals are brought into contact with healthy ones, 
there may or may not be one or two among them having the disease in 
a sufficiently advanced form to communicate it to others ; they are 
sold, perhaps, in one or two lots, taken home, and probably by each 
individual purchaser are mixed with or put sufficiently close to other 
cattle to answer the purpose. The disease again makes its appear¬ 
ance, and frequently the same course is again adopted, and so on 
to an unlimited extent. 
I think the comparative scarcity of cases during the restric¬ 
tions put upon traffic when the eattle plague raged a good proof 
of this being a most fertile cause of its spread. It is, further, 
important to know how long a time should elapse after the 
removal of diseased animals from premises before they should be 
again occupied without the fear of infection. I have known many 
weeks elapse, disinfection thoroughly carried out, and yet the new 
comers to succumb to the disease ; but it is impossible to say 
whether or not they would have become diseased had they been 
placed under other circumstances. 
I shall now describe as briefly as possible the symptoms of the 
disease, and hurrv on to a consideration of the best means to be 
adopted locally to stay its progress, the advisability of treatment, 
and, Anally, the best steps to be carried out by our legislature to 
control the ravages of the disease with a view to its extirpation. 
The most general premonitory symptom is a short husky cough, 
which may exist for a shorter or longer time previous to the disease 
showing itself; occasionally it is almost entirely absent. It is 
caused by a certain amount of irritation about the bronchial tubes; 
if at pasture or in a yard, a separation from the rest of the herd, 
with back slightly arched, staring coat, &c., frequently lying down ; 
these symptoms become more apparent as the disease advances. 
Should the animal be a milch cow a diminution of the quantity of 
milk secreted will be observed, generally constipated bowels, 
although sometimes the opposite state of things will exist. As it 
progresses and gets into the first stage, the breathing, which 
hitherto, excepting on exertion, has been tranquil, becomes accele¬ 
rated ; also pulse quickened, cough more frequent, temperature of 
horns, &c., increased. Now, the appetite becomes more or less 
impaired, grating of teeth, bowels more constipated. Now comes 
the time for auscultation and percussion being carried out, to ascer¬ 
tain as near as possible what extent of lung is implicated, so as to 
be guided as to the advisability of treatment, or otherwise. One or 
both sides of the chest may be affected. 
Our examinations should always be conducted in as quiet a 
manner as possible, so as not in any way to cause excitement. The 
right lung is thought to be most frequently the seat of disease. 
The respiratory murmur upon the healthy side is increased in force, 
the murmur in the opposite lung being most distinctly heard at the 
anterior part until the whole is implicated, when often no sounds 
whatever can be detected. As the disease advances crepitation can 
be heard, which increases; finally, puffing or blowing sounds 
become discernible, and sounds resembling the rubbing together of 
