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US^ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 ' SPECIAL REPORT— No. 31. 
 
 . V 
 
 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
 
 f6 
 
 THIRD REPORT 
 
 OF 
 
 CHARLES P. LYMAN, F. R. C. V. S. 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 1881. 
 
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CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA 
 
 Sir : Altliougli my recent exaniiaation of American cattle, as lauded 
 and slaughtered in England, had for its chief object the detection of the 
 contagious pleuropneumonia so frequently reported by the English 
 governmental authorities as existing among them, and the subsequent 
 location, as nearly as possible, in the United States, of the herds from 
 which these animals had been taken, I made my last report to you upon 
 this subject before having had sufficient opportunity to examine as thor- 
 oughly as seemed to me desirable, the details connected with this direct 
 investigation, because I considered that, incidentally, matters of the 
 greatest importance connected with our cattle export trade had come 
 to my knowledge, and that under the circumstances it was very impor- 
 tant that these facts should come to the knowledge of Congress early 
 in the session, so that, if they deemed them of as much importance as 
 they seemed to me, they might have time to take such action as they 
 deemed necessary. 
 
 Therefore the second report was made, and I was obliged to content 
 myself, at that time, with the statement that if pleuro pneumonia ex- 
 isted in the West, or if there were diseased cattle in or about the points 
 through which the animals passed on their journey eastward, the infor- 
 mation already possessed would, after a little further time, insure its 
 location. That time I have now had, and in this report I intend to dis- 
 cnss simply the facts bearing upon these two points of the inquiry. 
 First, by tracing back the condemned animals, so far as I have been 
 able, from England to the States wherein they were raise<l, and to show 
 what likelihood there is that contagious pleuro-pneumonia exists in any 
 of these States. Second, by submitting to you the report of Dr. W. F- 
 Whitney, the microscopist, whose services were engaged for the special 
 purpose of examining the diseased portions of lung brought home by 
 me from Liverpool ; and, third, by discussing, in addition to this, which 
 may be called the direct testimony in the case, the circumstances con- 
 nected with the marketing, transporting by rail, and shipping of cattle 
 through our uninfected districts and ports to England, i. e., that part of 
 the matter which way be called the indirect testimony, or in reality a 
 putting together of facts connected with this shipping business, and 
 drawing from them what seems to me to be reasonable deductions. 
 
 The lungs condemned in my presence were six in number, and were 
 from animals coming from Boston to Liverpool in the following named 
 steamers, and in the numbers given : Iberian, one; Victoria, two ; Bra- 
 • 3 
 
4 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
 
 zilian, two ; and from New York to Liverpool in the steamer Aleppo, 
 one. 
 
 The history of these animals, as I have heen able to learn, is as fol- 
 lows : Mr. Smith, butcher, bought of Mr. George Roddick, cattle sales- 
 man at Liverpool, 194 bullocks from the cargo of the steamer Brazilian, 
 landed at Birkenhead Julj' 7, 1880. These animals were consigned to 
 the salesman by Messrs. J. & C. Coughlin, of London, Ontario, Canada, 
 who bought them in Boston, to w^hich place they had been shipped di- 
 rect from the Chicago maiket via. the Grand Trunk Bailway of Canada 
 to Buffalo, thence via. the New York Central to Albany, thence via. the 
 Boston and Albany to Boston. The lot consisted of steers from the 
 States of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Alfred Dawson, butcher, bought of Mr. George Koddick, cattle 
 salesman at Liverpool, several bullocks from the cargo of the steamer 
 Victoria, landed at Birkenhead July 15. These animals were consigned 
 to the salesman by Mr. Timothy Coughlin, London, Canada, who bought 
 them in Boston, to W'hich place they had been shipped direct from the 
 Chicago market via. tlie Grand Trunk Railway of Canada to Buffalo, 
 thence via. the New York Central to Albany, thence via. the Boston and 
 Albany to Boston. This lot, as in the last case, consisted of steers from 
 Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. 
 
 Since leaving Liverpool I am advised that up to the 21st of Novem- 
 ber seven more animals were condemned, as follows : On September 5, 
 from the cargo of the steamer Palestine, three animals. These were 
 from a lot consigned to Messrs. Utlej" and Sons, of Liverpool, by Messrs. 
 T. & F. Utley, of Boston ; 44 of them were Missouri, and 100 Iowa ani- 
 mals. They were bought in the Chicago market and came to Boston 
 via. Buffalo and Albany over the Grand Trunk, New York Central, and 
 Fitchburg Eailroads. 
 
 On November 9, from the cargo of the steamer Victoria, one animal. 
 This w^as from a lot consigned to Mr. Ramsden, cattle salesman, Liver- 
 pool, by Messrs. Wales «& McLeavitt, of Boston, all of them being Illi- 
 nois steers, bought in Chicago market and shipped to Boston over the 
 Michigan Central, Grand Trunk, Vermont Central, and Fitchburg Rail- 
 roads. 
 
 On November 18, from the cargo of the steamer Bohemian, one aniimil. 
 This was from a lot consigned to Mr. Hewlett, cattle salesman, Liver- 
 pool, by Mr. William Hawksworth, Brighton, Mass. They were Illinois 
 steers, one-half purchased in Albany, coming to Boston via. Boston and 
 Albany Railroad. They had been brought to Albany from Chicago over 
 the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern route. The other half were 
 bought in Brighton market, Boston, and had been brought from Chicago 
 via. Grand Trunk, New York Central, and Fitchburg Railroads. 
 
 On November 18, from the cargo of the steamer Brazilian, one animal. 
 This was from a lot consigned to Mr. William Carroll, Liverpool, by 
 Messrs. Hathaway & Jackson, of Boston, and were all Ohio cattle, bought 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA, 5 
 
 especially for this shipment iu that State, and were shipped via. Buflalo, 
 and from there over the New York Central to Albany, thence over the 
 Fitchburg- Eailroad to Boston, 
 
 On November 21, from the cargo of the steamer Iowa, one animal. 
 This was from a lot consigned to Messrs. Utley «& Sons, Liveri)ool, by 
 Messrs. T. «&: F. Utley, of Boston. Fifteen or twenty of them were Ohio 
 cattle, and came direct from London, Ohio, by way of Buflalo, Albany, 
 and Fitchburg-, to Boston. The remainder were Missouri and Illinois 
 steers, and came from Chicago by Grand Trunk Eoad. 
 
 With one exception this traces, I believe, all the condemned animals 
 that have arrived at Liverpool from Boston from July 7 to November 
 21, 1880. (The one not traced was from "the cargo of the steamer Iberian, 
 landed July 14; the reason for this will be described further on in this 
 report.) From it will be seen that the native States of the condemned 
 animals are Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio ; that the only markets 
 through which they have passed are Chicago, Buffalo, Albany, and 
 Boston ; that the lines of rail that have been used are the Lake Shore 
 and Michigan Southern, Michigan Central, Grand Trunk line of Canada, 
 New York Central, Vermont Central, Boston and Albany, and the 
 Fitchburg, or, as it is sometimes called, the Hoosac Tunnel route. 
 
 Cattle from the United States, upon being landed in Liverpool or at 
 Birkenhead, are driven into stables erected for the purpose upon the 
 wharves upon which they are landed, and are tied up in rows facing each 
 other betM'een which there is a passage way. After they have remained 
 here, resting and feeding for at least twelve hours, they are examined 
 by the veterinary inspector of the port, and, after they have passed this 
 examination the salesman to whom they are consigned is at liberty to 
 sell them, and the butcher who buys them, to drive them into the sham- 
 bles, also situated upon the same wharf, where they are killed under the 
 restriction that all lungs must be laid aside until they have been ex- 
 amined by the inspector, when those not condemned may be disposed 
 of in any way that the owner sees fit. This examination is made by 
 clasping, one at a time, the lungs between both hands, and iu this posi- 
 tion passing them over their entire surface, when, if anything j^eculiar 
 is felt, it is cut down upon and examined. In this way the slightest varia- 
 tion from the normal becomes at once apparent ; in fact, it is surprising 
 how quickly the smallest change in them may be located. In this con- 
 nection I also wish to have the fact borne in mind that in no one of these 
 cases condemned in my presence did the inspector discover the disease 
 before the animal was killed, although every animal was closely insjiected 
 in the way described, and in no one case was there any appearance about 
 any one of these condemned animals that caused the slightest question 
 to be raised as to his healthfulness, notwithstanding he had but very 
 recently passed the scrutiny both of the port inspector and the butcher 
 who had bought him ; nor was there one of them that was not fully up 
 to the average of his fellows in flesh. 
 
6 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PKEUMONIA. 
 
 The microscopic appearances of these six lungs in their fresh state 
 were as follows : 
 
 Brazilian No. 1. — This lung contained, in about its center, a large, 
 hardened object that could be both seen and felt, and would measure, 
 perhaps, about six inches through its largest diameter. This, upon being 
 cut into, appeared to be an abscess containing nothing but a pure, rather 
 thick, creamy pus, and, although any portion of dead tissue that might 
 be contained within this cavity was thoroughly searched for, nothing of 
 the sort could be found. The cavity was surrounded by what seemed 
 to be a rather thick cartilaginous wall, this again by a considerable 
 amount of "marbled" tissue in which the parenchymai was of an even 
 pinkish color, with the interlobular thickening well marked, white, hard, 
 and firm. This, in its turn, passed almost imperceptibly, the parenchymte 
 becoming gradually more aud more areable, and the interlobular thick- 
 ening growing narrower aud narrower into the healthy lung tissue sur- 
 rounding the whole. 
 
 Brazilian No. 2. — This lung, with its fellow, upon its surface pre- 
 sented to the eye no indication of disease, but upon being handled in 
 the way described above, several small nodules within its substance at 
 once became apparent; these, upon being cut down uj)on, in the one 
 lung disclosed the unmistakable lesions of tuberculosis, and in the 
 other, where these indurations felt were much fewer and smaller, the 
 nodules showed the peculiar lesions upon which it was condemned. 
 There were several small nodules situated in the periphery of the extreme 
 posterior jiortion of the large lobe of the right lung, the larger of which 
 was about one-half inch in diameter : in its center there appeared to be 
 a cheesy deposit ; this was surrounded by a very thin layer of a thin 
 grayish-colored pus ; outside this a very thin membrane; outside this 
 again, a very limited amount of marbled tissue which, near the center, 
 was well marked, but more indistinct toward its outer margin. Of 
 these nodules there were some four or five perfectly isolated from one 
 another, but all being, to the unaided eye, of the same description. 
 
 Victoria lungs. — There were two pairs of these, condemned from 
 the same lot at the same examination. One lung showed one and the 
 other three indurated spots upon which the lungs were condemned. The 
 largest of these "spots" was about the size of an English walnut, and 
 was situated exactly at the root of the lung ; the remaining three were 
 situated in various isolated positions in the snbstance of the lung. 
 Upon being cut down upon they all exhibited the same general appear- 
 ance as those of the Brazilian No. 2 lung already described, except that 
 in the case of the largest specimen there was a fair amount of sub-plural 
 thickening, although there had been no adhesion between these surfaces. 
 Of this portion of lung Dr. Whitney says : " The size and ai)pearauce 
 of the diseased portion after a clean cut had been made through it is 
 represented on Plate IV. The disease involves about one-half dozen 
 lobules, representing about 50 to 75 cubic centimeters in bulk (Plate IV 
 

 o 
 
 2; 
 
 H 
 
 t^ 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 7 
 
 a). These are quite homogeueous in appearance, and within them are 
 seen one or two small irregularly rounded cavities containing a cheesy 
 material. The interlobular tissue between them and the more healthy 
 portion of the lung (Plate IV int. tis.) is very thick and dense." In its 
 fresh state this cheesy deposit was surrounded by a thin layer of what 
 appeared to be a thin, grayish pus ; this again by a thin membraneous 
 wall, this by the " marbled" tissue, limited in extent, and surrounded 
 on three sides by healthy tissue. 
 
 Aleppo lung. — The lung from which this specimen was taken was from 
 a bullock, killed in Liverpool, July 23, and which the inspector said he 
 considered a fine specimen of contagious pleuro-ijneumonia, and, as will 
 be seen by reference to Plate VII, which is copied from a painting made 
 by a leading firm of photographers in Liverpool from the lung itself, on 
 the same day upon which it was taken from the animal, and is a most 
 perfect representation of its appearance, has very much the look of that 
 disease ; indeed so close is its resemblance that no one would be war- 
 ranted in saying that it was not it until a most thorough examination 
 had been made of the specimen. 
 
 Plate Vila represents the point at which adhesion had taken jilace 
 between the two i^leural surfaces, and at which, upon being broken 
 down by the fingers, there was left a small rounded eminence of loosely 
 formed connective tissue 6, the diseased nodule showing the discolored 
 lobules and the greatly thickened Interlobular tissue ; c, c, healthy lung 
 tissue. 
 
 After getting this portion of lung to Boston, another cut was made 
 into the nodule parallel to the first, and at a point directly through the 
 center at a. The surface thus exposed had a very different appearance. 
 At about the center of the nodule was a small, irregularly shaped cavity 
 surrounded by a ?nass of material having a grayish cheesy look ; in 
 fact giving i^recisely the appearance noticed in all of the specimens ex- 
 cept the Brazilian No. 1. 
 
 Iberian. — This specimen was not retained by me, nor were any inqui- 
 ries made about it that would enable me afterwards to trace the animal 
 in the United States, because at the time it was discovere<l by Mr. 
 Moore, the inspector, and shown to me, I did not think that there was 
 the slightest indication of pleuro-pneumonia about it, and so told Mr. 
 Moore, who, I thought, agreed with me at the time, and so the lung was 
 not retained. Two days afterwards, however, I found, much to my sur- 
 prise, that it had been condemned and reported to the Loudon authori- 
 ties as having been a case of pleuro-pneumonia. My recollection of its 
 appearance is that it contained seven or eight nodules isolated from one 
 another, consisting of a small cheesy deposit no larger than a pea, sur- 
 rounded by a thin membrane, and showed no marbled tissue whatever. 
 In addition to this description I may say that every specimen de- 
 scribed in this report was seen and examined by Inspector Professor 
 Duguid, of the London oflfice, and pronounced by him to be undoubtedly 
 
8 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO -PNEUMONIA. 
 
 pleiiro-pneuinoiiia. Also that each aud every oue of them were shown 
 in August last to Professor Williams, who declared that, in his opinion, 
 none of them were pleuropneumonia unless it was the Aleppo specimen, 
 upon which he would give no opinion without a chance for a more 
 minute examination of it. 
 
 MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION. 
 
 All of the specimens of lungs which I have endeavored to describe 
 were given by me to Dr. W. F. Whitney, of Boston, Mass., curator of 
 the "Warren Anatomical Museum, and assistant in pathological anatomy 
 in the medical department of Harvard University, who made a most 
 thorough microscopical examination of them, and whose report upon 
 the subject I have the honor to herewith submit : 
 
 Boston, Mass., December 30, 1880. 
 
 Chas. p. Lyman, F. R. C. V. S., 
 
 Veterinary Surgeon Department of AgricidUire : 
 
 Dear Sir: At your request I have examined the portions of luugs 
 coming from American cattle killed in Liverpool, said to be affected with 
 contagious pleuro-pneumonia. 
 
 From a careful study of those specimens in comparison Mith others 
 obtained from an unquestiouable case of that disease, and from the de- 
 scription of its characteristics as given by Williams, Yeo. Roy, aud 
 others, it appears that the changes seen in those specnnens are caused 
 by chronic infiamntatory processes^ especially of the, interstitial tissue, in 
 some cases comhined irith miliary tuberculosis, irhieh, reasoning from analo- 
 qous processes found in the human lung, are not contagious. 
 
 In i^roof of the above statement I send you herewith the preparations 
 upon which it is based, with drawings, and in explanation of them will 
 call your attentiou, first, to the relations of the healthy lung, then to 
 the changes seen in a lung affected with contagious pleuropneumonia, 
 and, finally, to the manner in which the changes seen in. the specimens 
 sent for examination differ from those of that disease. 
 
 The lungs of cattle differ from those of uuin, in that each lobe is dis- 
 tinctly subdivided into numerous lobules (each occupying the space of 
 from 10 to 30 cubic centimeters) joined to each other by fine bands of 
 connective tissue, which also forms the walls of extensive lymph spaces, 
 connecting on the one hand with those lying in the pleura, and on the 
 other with the lymph canals, which nearly surround the blood-vessels 
 accompanying the bronchus into the lung tissue. These relations are 
 shown in the preparation marked "'normal luugof bullock, lymj^h spaces 
 injected with blue," aud from which Plate I bas been drawn. Fig. 1 rep- 
 resents a section through the whole of one and part of an adjoining lobule 
 with the uniting bands of connective tissue inclosing lymph s]>aces. The 
 extreme tiiiuness of this band is especially to be noticed. The walls of 
 the alveoli, which form the lung tissue i)roi)er ( Fig. 1, lung tis.), are fine, 
 and have a slightly wavy crinkled outline, and in them are a few scat- 
 tered lymph and epithelioid cells. One or more small bronchi are usu- 
 ally to be found in each lobule. A more highly magnified view of one 
 of these is reiirescnicd in Fig. 2. In this can be distinguished three 
 coats,a mucous or inner coat, a muscular or middle coat, and an external 
 coat. The mucous coat (Fig. 3, muc. ct.) is formed by a layer of colum- 
 nar epithelium, its inner surface resting upon a narrow zone of con- 
 
Plate I 
 
 Contagious Pleuro -PNEmiONL\ 
 
 A Himii Co lithocaiisticB.itoiuore 
 
Plate U. 
 
 Contagious Pleuro -Pneumonia 
 
 A.HoPii X- Co litliof tmshr BkHhiio 
 
10 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
 
 ened bands (see Plate III, Fig. 1, lym. sp. B). The canals about the 
 vessels (Fig. 1, lym. sp. C) are completely filled with lymphoid cell, the 
 vessels are usually plugged, and a more or less extensiv^e hemorrhage 
 may take place into the surrounding tissue (see Fig. 1, art). 
 
 The alveoli are filled with lymph and epithelioid cells, in many cases 
 degenerated and retracted from the walls into little granular clumps. 
 The walls themselves are much thickened ia some places from an hyper- 
 trophy of the fibers of unstripped muscular tissue, which is normally 
 present in small amount, especially at the place where the bronchus^ 
 passes into the alveoli (see Fig. 2, mus. hyp.) 
 
 The bronchi in this stage are only distinguished with difficulty, and 
 the explanation lies in the fact that the mucous membrane has become 
 entirely degenerated and cast off from the walls (see Fig. 1, br. muc. ct.),. 
 the cells reduced to a detritus which, together with lymph and blood 
 cells, completely occlude the opening, leaving no characteristics by which 
 to distinguish rt from any other plugged vessel. 
 
 Upon grouping together the appearances as presented in the different 
 stages, it is manifest that the lymph spaces are at first filled with a 
 coagulable material, and the increased density of this in the later stages- 
 of the disease are due to an increase in the number of cell elements and 
 not to a material increase in the thickness of the walls of the spaces. 
 With the increasing firmness of this exudation the alveoli are filled with 
 cells and exuded material, as are also the lymph canals about the ves- 
 sels ; and when this has reached a marked degree, the mucous coat of 
 the bronchus, which in the earlier stages of the disease has taken part 
 by a proliferation of its epithelium, is cast oft' and the tube is filled with 
 its detritus and an exudation similar to that in the neighboring lymph 
 canals. The muscular coat of the bronchus resists longer and can be 
 clearly distinguished after the mucous coat is destroyed. With this 
 filling of the lymph canals the vessels are occluded and hemorrhage may 
 take place into the surrounding tissue. 
 
 DISEASED LUNGS FROM LIVERPOOL. 
 
 The one first examined was marked " Steamer Victoria, from Boston, 
 July 19, 1880, Liverpool," and will be referred to as the Victoria lung. 
 
 The size and appearance of the diseased portion after a clean cut. had 
 been made through it, is represented in Plate IV. The disease involves 
 about one-half a dozen lobules, representing about 50-75 C. C. in bulk 
 (Plate IV, A). These are quite homogeneous in appearance, and within 
 them are seen one or two small, irregularly rounded cavities, containing 
 a cheesy material. The interlobular tissue between them and the more 
 healthy portion of the lung (Plate IV, B) is very thick and dense (Plate 
 IV, int. tis.). 
 
 The whole has a resemblance to contagious pleuro-pneumonia in that 
 the lobules and interlobular tissue are involved, but differs in the small 
 amount of tissue implicated When considered in relation to the degree to 
 which the interlobular tissue is affected. What the cause of these changes 
 is, will be understood from the preparation marked S. S. Victoria, &c.^ 
 and from which Plate V has been made. 
 
 Looking first at the interlobular spaces it will be seen that there is no 
 longer any trace of the lymph spaces, but that the lobes are joined by a 
 firm band of connective tissue, rich in young cells. (Plate V int. tis.) 
 The earlier stages of this are seen in that part of the preparation which 
 shows no changes to the unaided eye (this is not shown in the drawing), 
 and there it appears that this tissue results from a thickening of the 
 
Plate m. 
 
 ju>; 
 
 
 - ^ 
 
 m* 
 
 -^ 
 
 '.^.t 
 
 Contagious Pleitro-Pneitmoma 
 
 A.Howi «■ Co l,itli(i,;nisu.- B.atun 
 
Plate W. 
 
 Contagious Pleuro -PNEmiONL\ 
 
 A. Hoeii& Co.lallmcairstir Baltimoi-e. 
 
Plate V. 
 
 
 ■-^i/ 
 
 -^\ 
 
 ^ 1^ M S ^^ 
 
 CONTAOIOITS PlELTRO -PnELMOMA 
 
 A. HoPiiA Co.IillioMusUr Baltimoiv. 
 
Plate A^. 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 OoNTAGious Pleuro -Pneumonia 
 
 A.Hopn& foUtlincausUc Bnltuiioiv. 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 11 
 
 walls of the lymph spaces. Later, when this has become dense, an ac- 
 cnmulatiou of cells takes place in the contracted spaces and the whole 
 becomes fused into the tirm mass shown in the drawing. 
 
 From the action of this connective tissue the alveoli are compressed 
 and the walls are slightly thickened from the presence in them of large 
 numbers of young cells. There is but little tendency, however, to exuda- 
 tion or accumulation of cells within the alveoli. 
 
 The greatest changes within the lobules are seen about the bronchi 
 and their accompanying vessels. It will be remembered that there i& 
 normally a narrow zone of connective tissue, rich in cells surrounding 
 the bronchus and separating it from the adjacent vessels. These cells 
 have proliferated to such an extent as to form a wide band about the 
 bronchus, involving the blood-vessels, which are, however, still pervious, 
 but compressing the lymph canals to such au extent that their presence 
 is with difticulty made out. The coats of the bronchi are also affected, 
 but in the reverse order from what they are in contagious pleuro-pneu- 
 monia, viz: The muscular coat has almost disa]>peared (see Plate V, mus. 
 ct.), while the mucous coat (see Pate V, muc. ct.) remains quite distinct, 
 and the opening of the bronchus (contrary to the case in pleuro-pneu- 
 monia, when the cellular exudation is as extensive as here) is patent and 
 even slightly dilated (condition known as bronchiectasis). This proli- 
 feration about the bronchi (known under the name of peribronchitis) 
 may become degenerated finally and thus give rise to the small cavities 
 filled with cheesy detritus noted in the description of the specimen 
 (Plate IV, A). 
 
 The commencement of such a degeneration may account for the appear- 
 ance seen in the middle lobule of the preparation (see also Plate V, tbl.)^ 
 or it may be due to a secondary tuberculosis. 
 
 The whole process can be classified as one of chronic interstitial pneu- 
 monia, with j)eribronchitis and bronchiectasis with the formation of 
 cavities. 
 
 STEAMSHIP BRAZILIAN, FROM BOSTON. 
 
 The next two specimens examined were both marked S. S. Brazilian, 
 from Boston, and will be described as Brazilian lung No. 1 and No. 2. 
 
 Brazilian lung Xo. 1 consisted of several pieces forming part of the 
 wall of a large abscess. The side of the specimen which lay next to the 
 cavity of the abscess was quite smooth, and the tissue immediately 
 adjoining was firm, dense, and quite homogeueous, so that the outline 
 of the lobules could only be marie out with difficulty. This very dense 
 portion extended for about 1-2^'", when the tissue began to assume more 
 the appearance of normal lung; only that between the lobules were firm 
 bands connecting directly with the dense tissue near the edge. 
 
 Two preparations were made from this, one from the den^e portion 
 and the other from the more healthy looking part. 
 
 Upon examining the former (see preparation marked S. S. Brazilian 
 No. 1, near abscess wall, and from which Plate VI has been drawn) it 
 will be seen that the great increase in density is principally due to an 
 increased thickening of the interlobular tissue (see Plate VI, int. tis.), 
 and upon comparing this with the preparation made from the more 
 healthy portion (see ju'eparation marked S. S. Brazilian, recent disease) 
 it will be found that this increase is due, as in the case of the Victoria 
 lung, to a thickening of the walls of the lymph spaces rather than to an 
 organization of a material filling the lymph spaces. 
 
 In the thick bands of connective tissue traces of small vessels are 
 seen, showing that the process has been of long duration. The bronchi 
 
12 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
 
 lying" in their midst are still open and to be distinguished by their epi- 
 thelial lining, but their muscular coat has almost disappeared. 
 
 In the recent preparation the alveoli show simply the results of com- 
 pression, with an increase of round cells in their walls. Near the ab- 
 scess wall the lobule is quite solidified, but this is due not to an exuda- 
 tion into the alveoli, but to the effects of the comi^ression of the con nective 
 tissue and to a thickening of the walls by a round cell infiltration. 
 Scattered throughout the alveoli lobules, replacing one or two alveoli, 
 in the walls of the smaller bronchi and in the bands of new formed con- 
 nective tissue are small circular collections of round cells, having a ten- 
 dency to degeneration with a sharp line between them and the surround- 
 ing tissue (see Plate VI, tbl.); these are probably minute points of 
 chronic purulent inflammation, but may belong to the class of tubercles, 
 although only about half the size of those bodies and lacking in giant 
 cells and stroma. 
 
 The changes found in this lung are those of chronic induration, which 
 are entirelj'^ explained by the proximity to the large suppurating cavity, 
 and have nothing in them indicative of what mav have been the cause 
 of it. 
 
 Brazilian lung ]\^o. 2. — In the second specimen from the Brazilian 
 there were two nodules from different parts of the lung, showing differ- 
 ent stages of disease, the one more advanced than the other. 
 
 In both of these nodules there were only a few lobules which jjre- 
 sented any changes from the normal, and in the more recent specimen 
 it was only in a single lobule that these changes reached a marked 
 degree. 
 
 In this the lobule, which was tbecenter of the disease, was quite homo- 
 geneous, except in the middle, where a portion of the tissue was separ- 
 ated from the rest by a distinct line of irregularly indented outline. In 
 this portion were numerous small losses of substance, giving to the 
 whole a slightly necrosed look. This central lobule was separated from 
 the adjoining ones by a firm, broad band of tissue, while in the more 
 remote interlobular spaces the walls of the lymph spaces were seen to 
 be thickened and lying in the spaces thus reduced in diameter by this 
 thickening of the walls, were firm, fibrous-looking masses, which were 
 only slightly adherent to the walls, and could in consequence be with- 
 drawn intact. In contagious pleuro-pneumonia, it will be remembered, 
 the substance filling the interlobular spaces is perfectly continuous from 
 side to side, and cannot thus be withdrawn. 
 
 From this specimen three preparations were made, two from the recent 
 nodule and one from the more advanced. 
 
 The first of these (see preparation marked S. S. Brazilian No. 2 (A), 
 recent disease) was taken from the recent nodule in the tissue from 
 the neighborhood of the central diseased lobule, and presented to the 
 eye only a thickening of the interlobular tissue with masses in the lymph 
 spaces. Under the microscope it was found that the walls of the lymph 
 spaces were thickened in the same way as in the previous cases, and 
 that the masses lying in the spaces were composed entirely of cells, hav- 
 ing none of that peculiar loose, meshed, fibrillated network character- 
 istic of contagious pleuropneumonia. About the small bronchus, with 
 its accomj)anying vessels, a dense cellular infiltration is seen. The 
 muscular coat is quite degenerated, while in one portion of the wall of 
 the bronchus the cells have assumed an indistinctly circular outline 
 about a centrally degenerated point (tubercle?). The changes in the 
 alveoli with their walls are very slight, consisting only in an increase of 
 cells. * 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO -PNEUMONIA. 13- 
 
 The second preparation was made through the central lobule, in which^ 
 as described above, was a circumscribed necrosis. 
 
 The thickening- between the lobules (see preparation marked S. S. 
 Brazilian, Xo. 2 (B), recent disease) is due, as in the previous cases, tO' 
 a thickening of the walls of the lymph spaces, with here and there nar- 
 rowed lym[)h spaces filled with cells more or less adherent to the walls. 
 In the preparation colored by h;ematoxylon the necrosed i)ortion is 
 brought sharply out by a deep blue line, lying just within its border, 
 and due to the presence of a large number of cells and nuclei. Within 
 this line the alveoli are filled with yellow, finely granular detritus, in 
 which lie scattered nuclei and cells in the process of degeneration. 
 Very few nuclei or cells are seen in the alveolar walls, and the whole 
 looks dead. Within the center of this necrosed portion are seen the 
 blood vessels still i)ervious, surrounding which is a zone of cell infiltra- 
 tion as shown by the deep color. The bronchus lies between the ves- 
 sels, but can only be distinguished with difficulty, since the external 
 and middle coats are almost obliterated, the mucous coat destroyed, 
 only one or two projections of the submucous coat remaining to mark 
 its character, and the opening of the tube filled with round cells and 
 nuclei. 
 
 The walls of the alveoli of the tissue bordering this necrosed portion 
 are very much compressed, and, together with the new cells, which 
 have been inflated, farm a sort of wall. The remaining alveoli are com- 
 paratively free, although a few are filled with the same yellow finely 
 granular detritus as are those within the necrosed portion. 
 
 Within the nodule or more advanced disease was a cavity ^ to 1 cen- 
 timeter in diameter, surrounded by a thick wall, and the lobule con- 
 taining it was separated from its neighbors by thick bands of tissue, 
 which could be followed for some distance among the more health}' 
 lobules. 
 
 Under the microscope (see preparation marked S. S. Brazilian, Xo. 2, 
 advanced disease) it appears that the interlobular tissue is composed of 
 the same connective tissue, only rather firmer than marks the prepara- 
 tions already examined, and has apparently been formed in the same 
 way. The wall about the cavity is also composed of a similar fibrous 
 tissue rich in cells, and passes insensibly into the walls of the alveoli 
 which are compressed and slightly thickened, but otherwise compara- 
 tively open. Surrounding the bronchi and vessels are an accumulation 
 of cells which have infiltrated the bronchus from without inwards, 
 leaving still a remnant of the epitheleal lining. 
 
 The general outline of the cavity is such as to indicate that it had 
 been formed by a necrosis of a circumscribed portion of the lung, as in 
 the more recent specimen. This necrosed portion has been gotten rid 
 of, and the slight wall of separation seen in the recent specimen has 
 been thickened and condensed. 
 
 The whole process is one of chronic interstitial pneumonia with peri- 
 bronchitis and necrosis of the lung tissue. 
 
 STEAMSHIP ALEPPO, FROM NEW YORK. 
 
 The specimen was a portion of lung about half the size of the palm 
 of the hand, in which was a firm wedge-shai)ed nodule, the base of 
 which measured 2 x 2.o'^™, and was at right angles to the pleural surface, 
 which was slightly thickened all over the portion of lung. The nodule 
 was quite homogeneous in appearance, with broad bands of tissue sep- 
 arating the lobules. In one of the lobules there were small losses of 
 
14 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
 
 substance, giving' to that part a houeycombed look, and in another lobule 
 there was a small cavity. 
 
 The bauds of interlobular tissue (see i)rei)arations marked S. S. Aleppo 
 from Kew York, from diseased nodule, and S. S. Aleppo, &c., section of 
 entire nodule) are conijiosed, as in the i)revious cases, of firm connective 
 tissue quite well vascularized, showing here and there the presence of 
 masses of cells in the narrowed lymph spaces. 
 
 The lung tissue is compressed and the alveolar walls are thickly stud- 
 ded with round cells and nuclei. In the honeycombed tissue mentioned 
 above (see preparation marked from diseased nodule) these cells are col- 
 lected together in little round groups, which were often degenerated in 
 the centers, causing the little losses of substance referred to. The alve- 
 oli themselves were filled with exuded masses, detritus, and cells. 
 
 Ihe section through the lobule containing the cavity (see preparation 
 marked section of entire nodule) shows that the cavity is surrounded by 
 a thick wall having a slightlj' reticulated appearance and here and 
 there gi\'ing the outline of a circular body, lu the remaining paren- 
 chyma of the lung are two or three round bodies of a siuiilar size with 
 a rather broad meshed stroma, in which lie round (;ells (miliary tuber- 
 cles). 
 
 The bronchi and vessels are surrounded by accumulated cells. 
 
 Many of the alveoli of the lobules bordering upon the diseased nodule 
 are filled with blood corpuscles, which, however, lie freely within them, 
 and have not uniforndy infiltrated all the tissue as is the case in the 
 hemorrhagic infarction of the contagious pleuro-pueumonia. 
 
 The whole process can be classified as one of chronic interstitial pneu- 
 monia, combined with tuberculosis and the formation of cavities. 
 
 COACLUSIO N. 
 
 Looking at the cases as a whole, it will be seen that they are the re- 
 sults of inflammations of ditt'erent parts of the constituents of the lungs, 
 there also being indications in all the specimens that tuberculosis may 
 take part in producing some of the changes. 
 
 The antecedence of oue process over the other cannot be exactly de- 
 termined, but judging from the thickness of the interlobular connective 
 tissue, and the fact that it can be distinctly traced among the appar- 
 ently unaffected lobules, it is probably implicated among the first, and 
 from the fact of the thickness of this tissue as compared with the small 
 amount of lung involved, the processes must be placed among the 
 chronic ones, which require weeks or months rather than days for their 
 accomplishment, and as such are probably not contagious. 
 Yours, trulv, 
 
 AY. T. WHITXEY. 
 
 Therefore, if we may place any value upon f\icts as evidenced by 
 the microscope — and who will say that we cannot i — the absolute fact is 
 well shown that not only were the lungs condemned in my presence as 
 being affected with pleuro-pueumonia contagiosa not affected with that 
 disease, but that the changes noticed in them, in all but one case, were 
 due to a chronic interstitial pneumonia with peribronchitis, with necro- 
 sis and the formation of small cavities at and within the lung tissue 
 projier; and further, there are evidences amounting to a certaiuty, in 
 
 1 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PXEUMONIA. 15 
 
 one case at least, that the disease known as tiibercalosis, probably, plaj's 
 a more or less prominent part in the etiology of these changes. The 
 other lung (Brazilian No. 1) that cannot be included in this class of 
 cases, was, however, very distinctive, in that the lung contained the 
 large abscess, already described, and the microscope shows the changes 
 in the lung tissues, upon which the condemnation was made, to have 
 been chronic induration of these tissues, caused by the pressure upon 
 them of the large abscess found to exist in their immediate neighbor- 
 hood ; in fact just the condition that under the circumstances we would 
 expect to tind. I think that, without pursuing the history of the beasts 
 from which these lungs came, it may be safely stated that they were 
 not affected with contagious pleuropneumonia. The next thing, there- 
 fore, will be to consider these cases that have been reported as being 
 diseased with contagious pleuropneumonia since the time I left Liver- 
 pool, and up to the 21st of November last, of which there were seven, 
 as has been already stated. As the lungs, or diseased portions of them, 
 were not obtainable for examination, it will be possible only to show by 
 negative evidence what the i>robabilities are respecting them. As you 
 will remember they came to Liverpool by various steamships from Bos- 
 ton ; to Boston they came from Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio, and 
 none of them were at any time in any of the cattle markets except those 
 of Chicago, Buffalo, Albany, and Boston ; and the only lines of rail over 
 which any of these passed were the Grand Trunk of Canada, New York 
 Central, Fitchburg, Michigan Central, Vermont Central, Boston and 
 Albany, Lake Shore and Michigan Southern. 
 
 It will be shown further on that there cannot be any disease in Chi- 
 cago or Buffalo, and the same argument will be as true regarding Albany 
 as Buffalo. In the case of Boston I may say that ever since the " stamp- 
 ing out'" of pleuropneumonia from Massachusetts in 1867 there has al- 
 ways existed, and does to-day, in this State a most efficient board of 
 State cattle commissioners, composed, amongst others, of the same vet- 
 erinarian (Dr. E. F. Thayer) under whose administration the disease was 
 " stamped out," and that although this board has, during all these years, 
 kept a most lively lookout for any cases of the disease within their State, 
 and although thousands of animals have been examined in Brighton 
 market, alive and dead, by Dr. Thayer, not one single case of pleuro- 
 pneumonia has been discovered within that State within the last 14 
 years. 
 
 Eegarding the native States of these cattle, it may be said that in 
 Missouri this department has 101, in Iowa 81, in Illinois 80, in Ohio 83 
 correspondents, whose particular duty it is to inform themselves as to 
 the nature of any disease that may at any time show itself among the 
 animals within their district, and that these correspondents have not at 
 any time reported the existence of any disease the symptoms of which 
 at all similated those of contagious pleuropneumonia, although every 
 
16 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 
 
 Special effort possible has l)eeu made to discover it, should it exist there. 
 So far as is known, and equally strenuous efforts have been made to dis" 
 cover the facts, pleuropneumonia does not exist in any region of coun- 
 try through which the lines of rail over which these animals have been 
 carried passes. This, then, leaves as the only possible source of con- 
 tamination the cars in which the animals have been conveyed. That the 
 disease may have been contracted in this way is jiossible, but not at all 
 probable, and as bearing upon this point it may be said that cattle going 
 to Boston for local uses are conveyed in exactly the same way, and often- 
 times in the same cars, as the animals going from thence to Great Brit- 
 ain ; and that, although I myself have examined many hundreds of these, 
 alive and dead, I have never yet found a single case of contagions pleuro- 
 pneumonia ; and this is the fact, as I have before stated, regarding the 
 very extensive examinations made of these same animals by the Massa- 
 chusetts State board of cattle commissioners. 
 
 In considering this question in all its phases, I am naturally led to a 
 review of the circumstances attending the landing and examination of 
 the cargo of animals ex steamship Ontario, which arrived at the port of 
 Liverpool on the 26th of January, 1879, consisting of 195 cattle and 2 
 carcasses; 87 head of cattle had been thrown overboard on the voyage, 
 thus making the original shipment 284. These animals were shipped 
 from Portland, Me., but of their origin Mr. Welsh, Minister of the United 
 States at London, says: " From reliable parties in Liverpool I learn that 
 while a part of the cattle by the Ontario came from Chicago, and a i)art 
 from Buffalo, at least 45 head of them came from Toronto, and were so 
 mixed with the others that the Canadian and United States cattle could 
 not be distinguished. It is also beyond dispute that those which came 
 from the United States passed for several hundred miles over the Grand' 
 Trunk Road through the Dominion of Canada ; that all the cattle were 
 exposed to weather of unusual severity ; that they remained for a con- 
 siderable time in Portland without food or water, and that they had 
 undergone an exceptional amount of hardship and bad usage before 
 entering upon a voyage which was made at an inclement season and 
 during excessively rough weather." In a memorandum on the subject, 
 Professor Brown, of the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council, 
 says: "On examining one of the carcasses, the inspector at Liverpool 
 found evidence of pleuropneumonia, and forwarded portions of the lung 
 to the Veterinary Department. This specimen was found to represent 
 the characteristic indications of the contagious pleuropneumonia of 
 cattle so well known in this country. By direction of the Lord President, 
 I immediately instructed Mr. Duguid, one of the inspectors of this depart- 
 ment, to proceed to Liverjiool and report as to the condition of the animals 
 which had been detained there. Mr. Duguid remained at Liverpool and 
 superintended the slaughter of the cattle, and in the course of the post- 
 mortem examination he detected thirteen cases of pleuro-i)neumonia in 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 17 
 
 various stages^ Xow take the statement of Professor Walley, made 
 to me in Edinburgh, in July, 18S0, in regard to this matter, lie says: 
 
 " I was called to Jjiverpool and there shown animals together in a 
 building which. I was told, came per steamshi]) Ontario from America; 
 a few of them were coughing, I should judge giving the patliognomonic 
 cough of contagious i)leuro-pneumonia. I exumineil them ; they gave no 
 elevation of temperature that amounted to anything as a sign ; they varied 
 a little; some would be a degree higher than others, l>ut nothing re- 
 markable in any. AVhile this examination was going on, and before we 
 had finished to my entire satisfaction, a man came to say that we M'ere 
 wanted in the slaughter-house, where we went at once, and found two 
 animals that Ave were told had been taken haphazard from this cargo of 
 the Ontario, hanging partially dressed, and from these I saw lungs takeu 
 that exhibited to me, withouf any doubt, the well-known lesions of conta- 
 giows pleuropneumonia. I was not at the place for more than an hour." 
 
 In answer to questions, he further said : 
 
 "The animals were in as good condition as any of the others; that 
 there were several diseased spots in their lungs ; that the diseased por- 
 tions were 'marbled,' and the parenchyma varied in color from deep red 
 to pink, but it was mostly of a pinkish shade ; that there was no at- 
 tempt towards the fornmtion of a cyst-wall around any of the diseased 
 portions, because the disease had not been of sufficient standing." 
 
 I have made these extracts because they seem to me to embrace the 
 entire evidence tending to show that the disease on the Ontario was 
 contagious pleuropneumonia : and I think it worth while to put in con- 
 trast with them here what may be called the circumstantial evidence 
 tending to show that there may have been some mistake. 
 
 The fact seems to be beyond dispute that so far as the animals came 
 from the United States they came from Chicago and Buftalo via Cana- 
 dian Grand Trunk Eoad to Portland. Since 1 877 the Department of 
 Agriculture has had, all through the West, regular correspondents, 
 whose duty it is to collect and forward evidence relating to any disease, 
 contagious or otherwise, that may prevail to any extent in the ditierent 
 localities in which they are located. In this way nearly every disease 
 that animal flesh is heir to has received some sort of mention, but in no 
 case has any description been received that could in any way be con- 
 strued into a description of contagious pleuropneumonia of cattle- 
 Besides this, the department kept Veterinary Surgeon H. J. Detmers 
 at the Chicago live-stock yards, examining cattle with the single view 
 of ascertaining whether any trace of this disease could be discovered in 
 that great depot for western cattle. This examination, which was made 
 in 1879 and continued for some time, showed that it was unknown there. 
 The market of Buffalo is in the State of New York, and therefore came 
 directly under the examination of Prof. James Law, Veterinarian-in-Chief 
 to the State of New York, whose particular business, under a special 
 law, was to find and get rid of, so far as any means at his command 
 would allow of its being done, this very disease— pleuropneumonia of 
 cattle— and with the splendid system of detecting its existence in any 
 
18 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA, 
 
 cattle within tbo State, and with the great facility which he had for 
 tracing any diseased animals that were found to their starting point, he 
 was never able, in any way, to locate the disease in Buffalo or at any 
 point in the State within 400 miles, or thereabout, of that market 
 Neither has this department, although every means at its command has 
 been tried, ever been able to find that it had any existence at any time 
 nearer to Buft'alo than the points indicated by Professor Law. IS'ow we 
 have in evidence that these animals passed for several hundred miles 
 over the Grand Trunk Eoad. To do this and get to Portland after leav- 
 ing Buffalo, they would not again enter the States until they had reached 
 Vermont, where they cross a small portion of the extreme northeasterly 
 corner of the State ; thence across the extreme northerly portion of New 
 Hampshire ; thence for a short distance across the southerly portion of 
 Maine to Portland; and at no time would they be nearer than Portland 
 to the infected district, the nearest point of which is something over 300 
 miles away. It may be stated to a certainty that contagious pleuro- 
 pneumonia of cattle dofs not exist in either Vermont, New Hampshire, 
 or Maine. How, then co uld these animals have become infected ? So 
 far as the territory through which they traveled on their way to the sea- 
 port lies within the United States, it can safely be said that no pleuro- 
 pneumonia exists along, or anywhere near, their line of route. The 
 cars in which they traveled could scarcely have been previously con- 
 taminated, for presumably they were those of this great northern trunk 
 line, and would never be sent down into the neighborhood of New York, 
 Philadelphia, or Baltimore for the conversance of local cattle freight. 
 The only way, then, would seem to be that the disease was contracted 
 on board ship during the voyage. But ships that have carried cattle 
 are, on their return to Liverpool, required by law to be thoroughly dis- 
 infected, so that unless the Ontario, on her out voyage, brought to this 
 country from England cattle affected with contagious pleuro-pneumo- 
 nia, she could scarcely convey it to other and hearty beasts on the re- 
 turn trip. 
 
 That pleuropneumonia did exist among these cattle we have the evi- 
 dence of, first, Mr. Moore, the inspector, who discovered it ; second, that 
 of Professor Dugnid, who was sent down from London for the express 
 purpose of inspecting this cargo; third, that of Professor Walley, who 
 came from Edinburgh for the same purpose, all of them gentlemen who 
 are particularly well qualified to judge of the matter, and give a valuable 
 opinion regarding it. But it certainly does seem that Professor Duguid 
 and Mr. Moore were undoubtedly mistaken as to the lungs condemned 
 by them in my presence last Julj^ and August. May it not be that pleuro- 
 pneumonia contagiosa is, after all, not so distinctive in its appearance 
 as has always been su^iposed, or rather that changes are produced by 
 certain other diseases, the lesions of which resemble so closely those of 
 contagious pleuropneumonia that in the absence of any history of the 
 animal would require a much more carefal examination to detect its 
 difference than veterinarians have heretofore supj^osed to be necessary ? 
 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 19 
 
 The other gentleman. Professor Walley, says that he shouhl judge 
 that these animals were giving the pathognomonic cough of pleuropneu- 
 inonia, but that he examined them, and even with the thermometer (a 
 most delicate aid in these cases) he could get no indication tliat amounted 
 to a sign that thej^ were diseased; but still, hcfore he had finished his 
 examination to his entire satisfaction, he was called away to the slaughter- 
 house, where he saw lungs removed from two beasts that to him pre- 
 sented "without any doubt the well-known lesions of pleuro pneumonia." 
 These lungs were marbkd, an<l the parenchyma varied in color from deep 
 red to pink, but it was mostly of a pinkish shade; that the largest dis- 
 eased spot was as large as the crown of a derby hat ; that there was no 
 attempt at the formation of a cyst wall, because the disease had not 
 been of sufticient standing ; that the animals were in as good condition 
 as any of the others, and that they had been selected haphazard from 
 among the cargo in question. Is it not remarkable that although so 
 large a portion of lung was affected there was no sign or symptom by 
 which the animal could be selected out from among the others, which 
 on the testimony of this gentleman showed no sign that " amounted to 
 anything" of their being diseased, and that the only way of finding its 
 j)resence was by a critical examination of the lung itself after the animal 
 had been killed I Was ev^er such a case of acute contagious pleuro-pneu- 
 monia with this amount of lung implicated heard of before ? I think 
 not; and still this gentleman, who has had great experience with this 
 disease, who knows that in Edinburgh the existence of " pleuro" is gen- 
 erally discovered by an examination made of the live animals in the 
 byre, and not of the dead ones made in the abattoirs, and before he has 
 had sufficient time to finish his examination to his own entire satisfac- 
 tion, says that without a doubt these animals were aftected with conta- 
 gious pleuropneumonia ! Now, I submit, are there not in this evidences 
 of a hurried examination ? Has it not obviously been taken for granted 
 that the detection of contagious pleuro-pneumonia,7>o.S'^ mo7'tem,vraB a 
 thing requiring a knowledge only of a most superficial sort ? And I ask 
 the authorities in this case if, in view of all the facts, it is not possible, nay, 
 even probable, that a disease of not a sufficientlj' pronounced character 
 to interfere with the well-doing of these animals may exist that shall 
 give to the naked eye, upon examination of the lung post mortem, the 
 exact appearances of contagious pleuropneumonia, but which is not that 
 disease, but the result of some chronic process, the nature of which, in th e 
 absenceof all history of the animal, may require a most careful and minute 
 examination to detect its real differences ? 
 
 The only gentleman engaged in the aflair who seems at that time to 
 have been of my present opinion and to have realized its importance is 
 Professor Williams, of Edinburgh, who was called to Liverpool in pre- 
 cisely the same manner as was Professor Walley. This gentleman, who 
 spent more time in the examination, who has had at least as large an 
 •experience as have any of the others, said, when he had finished the ex- 
 
20 CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMOXIA. 
 
 aminatiou in Liverpool and was asked for his opinion, ''I have as j'et no 
 opiDion to give, and shall have none nntil I have been able to make a 
 more thorongh examination of the Inng." For this purpose he took with 
 him to Edinburgh j)ortions of the lung, and he received from Mr. Wellsby, 
 a veteriuarj' surgeon in the employ of Messrs. Warren & Co., the steam- 
 ship owners, for the next six months, portions of the diseased lungs 
 which were condemned by the inspector at Liverpool, all of which 
 received a most careful examination by himself and Dr. Hamilton, 
 I>athologist to the Eoyal Infirmary, and demonstrator of morbid anatomy 
 in the L'niversity of Edinburgh, and after all this he declares that he has 
 "not the slightest hesitation in saying that in no case has he found them 
 to exhibit the characteristic lesions of contagious pleuro-pneumonia.*' 
 Therefore it seems to me that there is, at least, fair reason to doubt 
 whether the disease noticed among this cargo of the Ontario was really 
 contagions pleuropneumonia. I have not gone into the discussion of 
 this question in any captiotis spirit of criticism, neither do I mean for a 
 moment to call into question the professional ability of an\- of those 
 gentlemen, which I believe to be of the highest quality, and I most 
 thoroughly believe that their decisions were given in accordance with 
 their honest convictions; but if these convictions were arrived at too 
 hastily, and before proper, and, in view of the gravity of the question, 
 sutiiciently exhaustive examinations of the facts were made, it is cer- 
 tainly my i^rivilege to comment upon them, and show, if i^ossible, that 
 it was so. And if any statement or argument that I have advanced 
 seems to be of sufficient consequence to really throw a doubt upon the 
 decision of the authorities of Great Britain in this matter, I would most 
 respectfully suggest that in fairness to the great interests of the United 
 States, which are by this decision very severely prejudiced, tliat the 
 judgment should at least be reconsidered. 
 
 My own opinion, arrived at after a most thorough and careful inves- 
 tigation and consideration of the facts, is tliat the lungs which were 
 condemned by the Inspector of the Privy Council at Liverpool during my 
 stay there in parts of July and August last, as being affected with con- 
 tagious pleuro-pneumonia, were in reality not affected with that disease. 
 And further, I do not believe that a single case of contagious pleuro-i)neu- 
 monia has ever existed in the West or has been landed in England from 
 our ports of Boston or Portland, unless, indeed, it may have been com- 
 municated to the animals after they were placed on board the ocean 
 steamer, from previous contamination of the vessel, by transportation 
 in it of diseased animals from Great Britain to America, an event which 
 I must say that in the case of pleuro-pneumonia I think to be very 
 unlikely. 
 
 Respectfully submitted. 
 
 CHARLES P. LYMAX, F. R. C. V. S. 
 
 Hon. Wai. G. Le Due, 
 
 Commissioner of Agriculture. 
 
 O 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS