VITAL STATISTICS OF CAVALRY HORSES. 
At the usual monthly meeting of the Statistical Society, 
on Tuesday, the 16th inst., Sir Rawson W. Rawson, C.B., 
R.C.M.G., in the chair, two papers were read, the first by Dr. 
T. Graham Balfour, F.R.S., on “ Vital Statistics of Cavalry 
Horses.” The author stated that this subject has received much 
more attention in France than in this country. In 1843, owing 
to the heavy losses by glanders sustained by the Army 
during the preceding ten years, a permanent Commission, 
presided over by the celebrated physiologist Magendie, was 
appointed, whose duty was to be the examination of all 
questions relating to the health and preservation of the 
horses of the Army. The Commission established statistical 
returns to be furnished annually by the Veterinary Surgeons of 
the Army, and was authorised by the War Minister to publish 
an annual volume giving the results of these returns, and any 
information it might judge deserving of publication relating 
to the health of the horses. The first of these reports was 
brought out in 1847, and twenty volumes had been published 
prior to the breaking out of the Franco-German war. 
The mortality of the horses in the French army during the 
thirty years 1837-66 averaged 58 per 1000 of the strength; 
ranging between 195 in 1841, and 26 in 1862; and the pro¬ 
portion “cast 5 ' was 80 per 1000, ranging between 135 in 
1849, and 47 in 1855. The total loss amounted to nearly 14 
per cent, annually. Dividing the thirty years into quin¬ 
quennial periods, the mortality shows a marked progressive 
reduction, attributable to the improvements introduced by the 
commission, the deaths in the last five years having been 
only 27*5 per 1000 as against 115 in the first. 
The reduction did not extend to the casting, which was 
higher in the last two than in the first two periods. 
The importance of these results is shown by the fact that 
a saving of upwards of £90,000 a year was effected in the 
amount required for the purchase of horses for the army 
during the last five years compared with what would have 
been necessary had the ratio of deaths and casting been the 
same as during the first five years. The influence of sex is 
shown in a slightly higher rate of mortality, but lower of 
casting among mares than horses. The mortality by ages 
shows the rate to decrease steadily till 11 years of age, when 
the minimum is reached. The casting, as might have been 
expected, increases steadily with advancing years. 
The disease which causes the highest rate of mortality is 
Glanders, and next to it stands inflammation of the lungs and 
pleura. The highest death*rate by glanders occurs at the age 
