§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, their Lordships would be interested to hear the following Report by Professor Simonds:—
§ "Veterinary Department of the Privy Council Office, Princes Street, March 3, 1866.
§ "Sir,—I have the honour to report that, acting on your instructions, I have to-day visited Mentmore for the fourth time, for the purpose of ascertaining the progress of the cattle plague in Baron Rothschild's herd, and the result of the treatment adopted by Mr. Worms. Since my last visit. February 22, the disease has made rapid progress, and I regret to add that the fatality has kept pace with its advance. It appears that, in consequence of the deaths which had occurred up to the 22nd of February, and the number of animals which were then sinking more or less rapidly from the disease, it was determined to give a trial to Mr. Worms' remedy as a prophylactic as well as a curative agent, and, accordingly, all the remaining animals of the original 119 were dosed on succeeding days with the mixture. With a view also to limit the number of cases, the unaffected animals were taken out of the straw yards and placed in small lots in nine different yards, distant from each other, and temporarily fitted up on the south side of one of the plantations. The location of these yards, and the manner of their construction, were well suited for the required purpose. Before describing the state of things as now existing, it will be necessary shortly to refer to my former reports of the 15th, 19th, and 22nd of February, in which the particulars were given of the first twenty-five animals which had been removed from the herd and put under Mr. Worms' treatment. In the first of these reports it was stated that ten animals, which, at the time of my examination, gave no evidence of 1590 disease, were being treated by Mr. Worms, and that one—the original animal attacked—had succumbed to the malady. In my second report I stated that four other unaffected animals had also been taken out of the yards for treatment, with five more which were the subjects of the cattle plague. In my third report I stated that in the interim three of the animals which were unaffected at my first and second visits had been attacked with the plague, and in addition to these other cases had also occurred. A summary was attached to this last-named report, which is here repeated:—February 22, 1866—Unaffected 11; affected, but not severely, 5; died, 5; dying, 4–25. On my visit to-day I found that the whole of the 11 animals referred to in the summary, and which had been regarded by Mr. Worms as having been cured, had been attacked, and that nine of them had died. Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, it may be as well to add the result of the treatment of these 25 animals as distinct from the rest of the herd. Numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 are dead, and numbers 2, 8, 9, 11, and 19 are convalescent. Passing from these eases I have now to describe the general state of the remaining portion of the herd, the disease, as previously stated, having made fearful havoc among the animals since the 22nd of February. In the sheds were five heifers rapidly sinking from the disease. In contiguous yards were lying thirteen cows and heifers which had been shot, some on the previous evening, and the remainder on this morning, all having been so severely affected as to be beyond all hope of recovery. A bull and a heifer were about to share the same fate just as I arrived on the premises, but were allowed to live until my inspection was completed I may here remark that none of these animals were destroyed by the orders of the local authority. In No. 1 extemporized yard were twenty-four cows, ten of which were dying, and the remaining fourteen were all more or less affected. In the eight other yards were thirty-five heifers, all of which were affected. Several were dying, and three were dead. The general state of these animals was such that in a few days scarcely one of them may be expected to be alive; and so great has been the mortality, and so rapid the progress of the disease, that I was informed by the bailiff that all treatment had been abandoned for some few days, and the animals left to their fate. Graves were being prepared as quickly as possible, and all the requirements of the law were being properly carried out. The almost total destruction of this herd will, it is to be feared, be followed by a serious loss among the dairy cows on the estate. On the 24th of February the malady unfortunately made its appearance among them, and on my inspection to-day, I found that two had died, six been slaughtered, and two others were dying. Two bulls and seven calves were also rapidly sinking. The entire stock on the dairy farm consists of twenty-nine cows, twenty-four calves, and four bulls, all of them being animals of great value. In concluding this report I cannot refrain from expressing my sincere regret that another supposed means of arresting cattle plague by medical treatment should have proved abortive.—I have the honour to be Sir, your obedient servant,
§ "JAS. B. SIMONDS.
§ "The Clerk of the Council."