11 
drainage was bad, they had no artificial connection with the sewers ; 
some years ago they were bnilt on an old meadow below the grade of 
the surrounding streets, and the filth has since been accumulating 
under the floor, it was for this reason I was so anxious to have the 
animals removed,- as I always suggest under similar circumstances, in 
order to get away from the cause. In the country, if attacked in the 
fields, particularly if the ground is low, remove to high ground or send 
animals to a distance if possible; if attacked in an old badly drained 
stable, have a shed put up at a distance for them to occupy. That 
the stable in this instance w r as at fault, and the cause local is proven 
by the fact, that the disease did not exist in any other roads belong¬ 
ing to the company, if we except several sporadic cases such as can al¬ 
ways be found in hard worked horses, in cities, and also one horse 
borrowed from another road, where disease did not exist, was, after 
living in an affected stable for a while, attacked mildly with the dis¬ 
ease, although his mate escaped; but they had both been under preven¬ 
tive treatment. 
The season of the year has something to do in the production of 
Cerebro-spinal-meningitis, or in making its poison operative. The 
severest outbreaks occur a few weeks after the breaking up of winter^ 
when thawing weather that will open the earth, etc., has existed for 
some time, and when the weather is still too cold to have doors and 
windows open for free ventilation, unless fires are used ; consequently 
we have poison being constantly generated, and as constantly accumu¬ 
lating in the buildings. 
Period of Incubation. The outbreak occurred about four weeks 
after the change in weather alluded to above, but the mild case spoken 
of in the borrowed horse temporarily domiciled in the affected stable, 
occurred in about two weeks; but as they were all under preventive 
treatment, and some of the mild cases that continually occurred for the 
first ten days of treatment, in horses that had been living in the stables ; 
the medicine they were under the influence of, may have had some¬ 
thing to do in postponing the attack, beyond the natural incubation. 
It may be the physical condition and powers of the animal, may have 
some resisting power. Only about twenty-five fine, strong horses are 
included in the deaths, and not all from Cerebro-spinal-meningitis; 
the remaining horses were of the night work order; they were the first 
to be attacked, and succumbed more quickly to the disease. I should 
say that exposed, untreated animals would require about three weeks 
to incubate the disease, if their powers were not above par, although 
as stated in the report, one case was affected in two weeks. I base my 
opinion on a fair average. 
