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49. How do you account for the removal in your case having saved the cattle removed ? —By their being removed immediately, before they had time to be infected. 50. Chairman.] Are you acquainted with any recent cases ?—I am ; but I did not take particular notice of them. 51. Do you think a law should be passed to prevent importation of cattle from infected districts ?—I do, for I think it may be readily imported with the cattle. 52. Mr. -Dick.] Do you consider a flock may be infected without contact ?—lt has been so said by authors, but I cannot speak from my own knowledge. 53. Chairman.] Do you know of any other animals than cattle subject to this disease ?—I do not. 54. Are you aware of any instance of an animal being attacked a second time ?—I am not. It js the general opinion that it is not taken twice. 55. Mr. Dick.] Do you consider the nature of the disease is such that it cannot be taken twice ? • —I can form no opinion from experience, for I never knew of a recovery, 56. Chairman.] Is the tongue affected ?—lt is, sooner or later. When the disease breaks out in a herd it spreads through that herd, at the same time herds in the immediate neighbourhood remain unaffected. Witness discharged. Mr. John Anderson called in and examined. 57. Chairman.] What are you ?—I am a Veterinary Surgeon. 58. Are you acquainted with the disease called Pleuro-Pneumonia ?—Yes ; I have seen many eases of it in England, Scotland, and France. 59. Will you state to the Committee what you know ©f it ?—lt is a disease of an inflammatory typhoid character—infecting the interlobulum substance of the lungs. The firstsymptom exhibited is the animal rejecting food, and in cases of milch cows, a falling off and gradual cessation of milk altogether. Rumination ceases. Muzzle becomes dry. The coat dry and scaley. The pulse and respirations increase. At first there is constipation, and in the latter stages, scouring. Upon oscultation, we can detect the affected part of the lung, —we don't hear the natural rustling of the air cells. Upon percussion, we have a dull sound instead of a hollow one. Upon pressure between the ribs, the animal exhibits very acute pain and grunts. In the last stages we have knuckling of the hind fetlocks. I have known cases terminate fatally in three days, and I have known them last for months. 60. Are the cases generally fatal ?—I have known several recoveries. The chance of recovery depends upon the time when the animal is attacked. At the first appearance of the disease in a district the loss is 50 per cent., afterwards it is reduced to 10 or 15. lam speaking- of a dairyman keeping a great many (1500) cows and giving them every care and attention. 61. Do those who have recovered take the disease again ?—lt is the opinion of the dairyman I alluded to, that they do not, and I am inclined to agree with him. This person has the disease constantly in his yard. He buys cattle and places them with diseased cattle so that they may take the disease and get it over. He prefers breeding from cows which have passed through the disease, believing the offspring to be less liable to infection. 62. Do you believe it to be very infectious ?—I do. It is communicated by the air, also by inoculation and contact, probably by the breath and the saliva. 63. How are they inoculated ?—By matter, general in the dew lap or tail. 64. Mr. Carter.] Do you think it would be advisable to prohibit the importation of cattle from places infected with this disease ?—Not if the cattle imported were healthy at the time of embarkation. 65. Would it be possible to detect the presence of the disease at the time of embarkation ?—lt would by an experienced person. 66. Chairman.] Have you conducted any post mortem examinations ?—I have--67. What symptons were exhibited ?—We generally find the right lung the most diseased—in some cases we find both diseased. We have effusion of lymph which becomes organized and joins the lung to the side. We also find pieces of lymph floating about in the cavity. The lungs much enlarged and quite hard under the touch, with the appearance of being solid, and speckled with black and reddish spots. The heart is smaller than in a healthy state —lighter in colour and soft under the touch. We often find fluke worms in the liver. 68. Do you know how it was introduced into Scotland ? —lt has been known from time immemorial on the Continent. It was introduced first into Ireland, and then into England and Scotland. It must have been brought by infected cattle. 69. Are you aware of any instance of an animal having the disease for some time without its existence being ascertained ?—I don't remember any particular case, but there are many on record. 70. Mr. Carter.] Could a Veterinary Surgeon have ascertained the existence of the disease ?—I don't know. No disease can be known in its early stages. There are chronic and acute cases. In the first it is latent—in the latter it is to be perceived.
Dr. Aikin. 19 Juno, 1861.
,J.Anderson,Esq.,l{.A 19 June, 1861.
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PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.
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