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CENTRAL VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
vegetable parasites. On that account he did not give expression 
to any opinion either one way or another. It was a matter 
he was now farther investigating. With reference to experiments 
in connection with the malady, he did not refer to them, 
because he was anxious to know from those who had experience 
in the malady whether there was anything tangible in this 
question of Indian corn, that being a question he desired to settle 
before resorting to the experimental method. Now, that he 
was assured on that point by those who had experience in 
connection with large numbers of horses which were fed on 
Indian corn, he felt at liberty and perfectly justified in putting 
it to the test of experiment, which he should take the earliest 
opportunity of doing. Mr. Burrell had suggested that the 
eruption did not “ develop itself in the form of vesicles.” It was 
not really a vesicular eruption, and the disease was not of an 
effusive but of a formative character. As soon as the papulae are 
developed suppuration commences immediately, and progresses, 
simply raising up the epidermis ; and the epidermis, together with 
pus and the plastic matter thrown out, became mingled together 
and developed a scab. There were no vesicles present. Thus it 
would accord more essentially with a formative than a diffusive 
malady. He might note that it was suggested to him by one 
or two dealers that the disease prevailed to a much larger extent 
in American horses than in our English horses; and one of these 
dealers had further suggested that the disease was contagious. 
He did not attach much importance to that single statement, 
although he had such a striking example in the case he 
had described to them. Nevertheless, he desired to have some 
expression of opinion in regard to the effects of Indian corn. 
Mr. Burrell had spoken of the inappropriateness of the term 
“ boil.” Pathologically, it was inappropriate. A boil was a very 
different thing altogether. The deeper structures of the skin 
were not, except in special cases, affected, and there was not that 
sloughing and that destruction of skin tissue which takes place 
in what was known as a boil. The question had been asked 
as to the constitutional condition, and he might say that he had 
not recognised any constitutional disturbance, except in one case, 
and that was where the back had been bruised, and inflammatory 
action had been set up in the tissues of the skin, together with 
sloughing. 
The Secretary moved, and Mr. Hamilton seconded, an adjourn¬ 
ment of the discussion till the next meeting. 
Adjourned at 8.45. 
