SYNOPSIS OF CONTINENTAL VETERINARY JOURNALS. 679 
August, 1880, is the first part of Dr. Willems' (of Hasselt) 
communication, “New researches on Exudative Pleuro-pneu- 
monia of the Bovine Species, and on preventive Inoculation 
for that Disease,” as read before the Royal Academy of 
Medicine of Belgium. He shows how the question of in¬ 
oculation as a preventive for this disease is “now more 
urgent than ever, interesting from the highest scientific 
point of view, and as concerning the agricultural industry of 
all nations/ 5 He then recalls how, in 1855, the Academy 
adjourned the discussion of this subject for further experi¬ 
mentation and practical observation, and in 1864 it was 
again discussed but not decided. “ Since then time and 
experience have spoken on this subject, and facts observed 
during more than a quarter of a century prove the correct¬ 
ness of the conclusions of the Belgian Official Commission 
as expressed in its seventh and last report to the Minister 
of the Interior “ Inoculation possesses evidently 
a true prophylactic value. And in infected places the 
number of beasts inoculated with success and subsequently 
have been attacked by this plague is insignificant as 
compared with those of beasts not inoculated, especially 
if rve remember the prolonged period of incubation of 
the disorder. We must, therefore, recommend to breeders 
and graziers the practice of inoculation.” These conclu¬ 
sions were arrived at after thirteen years’ observation and 
seven successive reports submitted to the Belgian Govern¬ 
ment by men of high standing in science, agriculture, and 
commerce. They are the same conclusions as in 1866 were 
very eloquently defended before you by two of our honor¬ 
able colleagues, MM. Croeq and Thiernesse, the former pre¬ 
sident, and the latter secretary, of the Government Commis¬ 
sion. And I must not neglect to accord my public thanks, 
so well deserved, to those honorable members who previ¬ 
ously received the discovery of inoculation with a certain 
amount of defiance and doubted its value for many years, but 
after experimenting on a large scale, after having availed 
themselves of every means for ascertaining the truth, have 
proclaimed f the prophylactic value of inoculation.’ Now, I 
have undertaken the task of proving to the Academy that 
the doctrine which I proclaimed in 1852 has been.verified 
in all countries, that the evident facts on which it is based 
are allowed, and have been confirmed by the most compe¬ 
tent men and the most rigorous experimenters.” <c A consider¬ 
able movement in favour of inoculation has taken place in 
France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, England, America, Africa. 
Australia, and especially in Holland, and from all these 
