The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-26 00:00:00

REPORT FROM PROFESSOR SIMONDS

The Clerk of the Council pfesents his compli-
ments to the Editor of The Sun, and, by the Lord
President's direction, transmits for publication the
accompanying report from Professor Simonds.
Sept. 25, 1865.

Veterinary Department,

23, New-street, Spring-gardens,
Sept. 25, 18G5.
To the Cleric of the Council.

Sir,--I beg to report that, acting on the instructions re-
ceived from you, to investigate without loss of time the
statement received at your office relative to an outbreak of
the cattle plague in a remote part of the county of Norfolk,
supposed to have arisen from cattle having been in contact
with some diseased sheep recently brought to the premises,
I have visited the district in question and inquired into all
the circumstances of the case.

It appears that as far back as the 17th of August Mr. C •
Temple, farmer and merchant of Blakeney, received on his
farm 120 lambs, which he had instructed a dealer to procure
for him for feeding purposes.

The lambs were bought at Thetford Pair on the preceding
day, and were immediately sent by rail to Fakonham from
which place they were driven to Blakeney, a distance of
about ten miles. On their arrival they appeareed to be
fatigued to a greater extent than ordinary, which was, how-
ever, attributed to the heat of the weather and the exertion
the animals had undergone.
_ _ .

In addition to this, the shepherd observed that several of.
them seemed unwell, and he remarked to his master that
they did not seem to be a " very healthy lot," and that he
thought it would bo better to return them to the dealer
Within a day or two of this time the symptoms of illness
were more marked in all the original cases ; and many more
of the animals had been attacked. On the 24th two of the
worst cases were removed from the field to the farm pre-
mises, and were placed in a shed for treatment, in which
afterwards a cow was put. On the 25th two of the lambs
died, and in consequence of this and of the large number
which were now affected, the whole were brought on the
morning of the 27th into the same yard where the shed
previously alluded to is situated. Theri3 is also another
shed, separated from this yard only by some old furze
faggots, into which the cows were driven night and morn-
ing for being milked. The lambs remained in the yard till
the morning of the 28th, when, having had some medicine
administered to them they were returned to the fold, and
never came again near the cows.

While in the yard three died—two on the 27th and one
on the 28th ; and on the following day two others died in
the field. From this time the disease went on, so that by
Friday last, Sept. 22, the day of my visit, 46 had either died
or been killed, and 27 were in a very precarious condition.
On Sept. 7, ten days after the last exposure to the sheep,
a cow gave evidence of being affected with the cattleplague,
this animal being the one which had been put into the shed
occupied by the diseased sheep on the 24th of August. A
second cow was attacked on Sept. 11, and a third shortly
afterwards, which was followed by others, so that by the
16th all the cows, six in number, a heifer, and a calf, were
all dead.
My examination of the lambs showed that they were
unmistakably the subjects of the plague. The symptoms
agreed in almost every particular with those observed in
cattle affected by the malady, and the post-mortem ap-
pearances were also identical.
_ . ,

- With a view to ascertain the true nature of the changes
produced in the system prior to death I had four of the
lambs killed, and from these I took some diseased parts and
forwarded them to the Royal Veterinary College, without
note or comment. These parts were examined by my col-
league, Mr. Yarnell, who at once recognised the special
changes of structure which are caused by the cattle plague.
The whole facts of the case leave not the least doubt of
sheep being liable to the disease termed the cattle plague,
and that when affected they can easily communicate the
-malady to the ox tribe; and, moreover, that when so con-
veyed it proves equally as destructive as when propagated
from ox to ox in the ordinary manner.
The ease is also more important from having occurred in
a place no less than 14 miles distant from any other where
the cattle plague exists, thus placing beyond a doubt the
fact of the malady being introduced among the cattle by
the sheep alone.

I regret to add that this is not a solitary case of sheep
being affected by the cattle plague. I learned that some
sheep were supposed to be similarly affected belonging to
Mr. R. J. H. Harvey, M.P., on his estate at Crown Point,
near Norwich. This place I also visited, and found a large
flock of upwards of 2,000 lambs, among which the malady
was prevailing. A large number had been separated from
the diseased, and gave no evidence of the malady. Very
many, however, had died, and the disease was making
rapid progress. I also examined many of the dead, and
found the post-mortem appearances to be identical with
those seen in the other cases spoken of in this report.
In this instance the malady was brought into the estate
by the purchase of some cattle, which afterwards died from
the disease, and which were unfortunately pastured with
the sheep at the time the disease manifested itself.
The whole matter is one of the greatest importance, and
which I no time in submitting to you, for the informa-
tion of the Lords of the Council.--L have the honour to be,
Sir, your most obedient servant, _ _

JAS. B. sndoisms.

LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPT. 26, 1865.

The arrival of the Peruvian with intelligence up
to the 15th shows us a very troubled picture of
American politics. The PRESIDENT, who has long
been separating himself gradually from that ex-
treme Republican party who raised him to power,
is now inclining more and more to the views and
policy of the Democrats. The Democrats in their
turn are, of course, eager to welcome so distin-
guished and powerful an ally, for although Mr.
JOHNSON has not openly declared any alteration in
his views, the general tenour of his late policy
is certainly more Democratic than Repub-
lican ; in other words, it tends rather to
a cautious endeavour to rebuild the old
system than to the introduction of sudden and
violent changes and the immediate elevation of the
uneducated black man to political power in place of
the educated white. President JOHNSON, whatever
his faults or shortcomings, is evidently a man of
considerable ability and resolution. He sees clearly
enough that if he suffers himself to be carried away
by the New England fanatics he can never hope to
restore and rebuild the rich and fertile South. The
Southern provinces, which the New Englanders
speak of in terms of derogation and contempt,
are far too valuable and too Populous to be
slighted, while their people have shown • that
they have mind and character enough to hold very
strong political opinions of their own. Physically
they may be subdued by superior force ; but poli-
tically, Mr. JOHNSON very well knows that the
States will never be restored to their old condition,
in which they contributed so much to the wealth
and prosperity of the Union, by the system of
repression and severity which the extreme Radicals
would willingly see adopted. It stands to reason that
five or six millions of highly educated, intelligent,
polite persons, who have been accustomed to look
upon themselves as a strong and united people, able
to win their own independence, to maintain armies,
to determine peace or war, to choose their own
legislators and rulers, and to decide upon their own
laws, will not tamely submit to political annihila-
tion, will not suffer the immediate elevation of their
own servants above their heads at the time of their
own degradation. It is to be hoped that ANDREW
JOHNSON is clear-sighted enough to foresee that a
Policy like this can only end in another uprising,
more resolute and more desperate than the last ;
that is must lead to a state of anarchy and con-

fusion, if it does not result in bloodshed and
massacre. - With incomprehensible blindness the
Republicans continue to urge upon the Pre-
sident at the same moment the introduction
of negro suffrage and the exclusion of
the rebels from political power. Senator SUMNER
made a speech on the 14th of September at the
Massachusetts Republican Convention, in which
he said that neither the rebellion nor slavery was
ended, nor would be until the negroes were placed
upon a full equality with the whites before the law.
The rebels, he added, must be excluded from
power, and neither vote nor be voted for Congress,
and they must not be admitted into the partner-
ship of government. Can any one imagine a more
preposterous theory to propound in a time of
trouble and excitement. Such fanatics are totally
inexcusable, for the length of time that has elapsed
since the termination of the war has allowed the
virulence of party feeling space to expend itself,
and the line adopted by the more prominent South-
erners is one that leaves their enemies no shadow of
a plea for persecution. The example set by that
true-hearted patriot and honourable man, General
LEE, has been followed by many other leaders.
Derply mortified as all the chief Confederates must
be at the total collapse of their schemes, and the
defeat of their armies, they have not shrunk
from accepting their destiny, and bowing
to the fortunes of war, with a moral courage that
reflects higher honour upon them than the most
brilliant physical victories. The old Scotch Provost,
in AYTOUN'S memorable ballad, praises the sole sur-
vivor of the band who left him for Flodden
that he had dared to bring the fatal news. He
exclaims :

" I hold it braver done
Than hadst thou tarried in thy place

And died above my son."
And in the same way, we may be sure, no hard-
fought contest ever cost Generals LEE and JOHN-
STONE so dear as their public acceptance of the
Federal Government. But, like brave men, they
will not shrink from their political any more
than from their military duty, and both have ac-
cepted public offices as evidence of their determina-
tion to support the existing order of things. The
Republicans, whose annihilation and confiscation
schemes are interfered with by such conduct, openly
proclaim their distrust of all Southern professions
of loyalty, but the President has seized an oppor-
tunity of declaring that he holds a contrary opinion.
A body of eminent Confederates having waited
upon him, he announced that he did not believe
those sensation writers who said so much about the
disaffection of the South, and that the presence of so
many distinguished gentlemen disproved their state-
ments. This reception must have been gratifying to
the Southerners, and if Mr. JOHNSON pursues thisline
of policy we may hope to see something like peace
and prosperity restored to the troubled States.
There is work enough for all to do, and there will
be difficulties enough to contend against without
any wild theorists or savage fanatics putting need-
less obstacles in the way. The two great problems
of the financial situation and the future of the
negro,m are quite sufficient to demand the calm and
unprejudiced attention of the ablest statesmen.
Much will depend on the course pursued during the
next few months. Let us then fervently hope that
wise and enlightened counsels will carry the day.

We are now certainly proving the truth of the
adage that misfortunes never come single. The
last intelligence that has reached us is most alarm-
ing, and it is, indeed, sad to contemplate its effects
on the community during the ensuing winter. The
letter which Professor SimoNns has addressed to the
Clerk of the Council is most unsatisfactory in its
details, and it is w calculated to inspire dread into
the minds of all far-seeing judges. The Professor
has been investigating the matter very carefully,
with a view to ascertain the truth of the rumours as
to the existence or extent of the cattle plague among
sheep and lambs. Unfortunately, it would appear
that the ominous reports were not too well sounded,
and many will peruse with a melancholy interest
the important details set forward in this communi-
cation. So far back as the middle of last August
the disease seems to have been among the sheep,
and therefore it has by this time gained ground.
A farmer at Blakeney at that period received on his
farm one hundred and twenty lambs, which had no
sooner arrived than they showed symptoms of
disease. These were gradually developed, until
many of them died, and a cow which had been
put into a shed occupied by some of the
sheep was attacked with the cattle plague.
Upon Professor SIMONDS examining the lambs
he found that they exhibited signs of the
plague in a most unmistakeable manner. In
almost every particular the symptoms were synony-
mous with the redoubtable plague, and the post
mortem appearances were also identical. Professor
SIMONDS goes on to relate that he sent some of the
diseased parts to the Royal Veterinary College
without " note or comment," and the result was
that they at once recognised the special changes of
structure that are caused by the cattle plague. The
conclusion arrived at by these inquiries is that sheep
are liable to the diseases called the acute plaghes,
and that when so affected they can communicate
the malady to the ox tribe, when it will prove as
fatal as if communicated from ox to ox.

To make assurance doubly sure, it is mentioned
that this case occurred at a place not less than four-
teen miles from any other where the cattle plague
exists, which shows that the disease was propagated
among the cattle by the " sheep alone." At this
especial juncture worse tidings could hardly be
circulated abroad, and yet it is wiser to know the
worst than to remain in doubt concerning such a
vital matter.

This is not a solitary case of sheep being similarly
affected as the cattle have been. The Professor re-
ports that having heard of some lambs being
affected near Norwich he proceeded there, and found
that out of a flock of two thousand a large number
had been set apart and had entirely escaped the evil,
but that a great many had died, and the disease
was making rapid progress. In this case the malady
was brought into the district through the purchase of
some cattle, and these were unfortunately " pastured
with the sheep at the time the disease manifested
itself." It is no in atter of astonishment that the Pro-
saor should conclude his letter with the remark, that
.
whole matter is one of the greatest import-
ance," and he, therefore, has lost no time in trans-
mitting it to the clerks for the 44 information of the
Lords of the Council."

It is always of consequence to receive authentic
intelligence of such calamities as these at the outset
so that needless Lars may not be entertained, and
also that due care and caution may be observed.
Surely the shepherds, and all concerned in the
charge of cattle and sheep, must recognise the im-
mense importance of keeping those recently pur-
chased from the others until time has shown if they
are free from the taint of any disease and fit to
mix with the others. Had this due precaution been
adopted in both the cases.cited by the Professor
much evil would have been avoided ; and it is also
worthy of suggestion that more attention be paid to
the comfort of the animals when they are bought.
The bustle with which they are conveyed from place,
to place, and the great neglect which 'hey often ex-

As L

perience en route must tend to develope the seeds of
the disease, or if it is only hanging about them to
bring it to a crisis. If it be impossible to put a stop
to this terrible disease, it cannot be impossible to
adopt such modes of procedure as in all human pro-
bability will conduce to mitigate its effects and
curtail its progress.
An order in Council was issued on the twenty-
second instant, which is more comprehensive than
any of the preceding ones, and will doubtless do
much to counteract the evils now abounding in the
practice of those engaged in the management of
cattle. In order to consolidate and amend " pre-
vious orders," it is now decreed this " order" shall
extend fo all parts of Great Britain, and the word
" animal" is intended to mean any cow, heifer,
bull, bullock, or calf, sheep, lamb, goat, or swine.
This is a very wise determination, and
it is evident, from the letter of Pro-
fessor SIMONDS that no time must be lost
in stemming the tide of this disaster if we would at
all arrest its progress. The most stringent regula-
tions are made in the course of the terms of the
said order, and if these are implicitly acted upon,
without doubt much may be done to check the
spread of the evil ; but still it must be borne in
mind that the chief part of the work will fall upon
private hands. No authorities can prevent danger
or disaster unless their orders are met with willing-
ness and alacrity, and therefore it is earnestly to be
trusted that all will sink prejudices, and follow the
counsel given by the learned and experienced in
such matters. The only way to meet this exigency
will be to show courage and to exercise patience,
and, as Mr. DISRAELI truly said the other day, it
must be regarded as a " national and not a local
visitation."

The Thames Embankment.
-•

The quantity of "filling in" supplied respectively from
the land and the river,during the last seven weeks, has been
from the former 19,711, and from the latter 23,778 cubic
yards. The total quantity since the 9th December, from
both sources, has been 256,091 cubic yards. These state-
ments will go some way towards giving an appreciable idea
of the progress made in substituting land for water on
the north bank of the Thames. Such of the public as
have kept themselves acquainted with the subject are
aware that these gigantic works are divided into two com-
tracts—No. 1, extending from Westminster to tho other
side of "Waterloo-bridge, where it makes a landing stairs.;
and No. 2, embracing the river bank from within a few feet
of Waterloo-bridge to the eastern end of the Inner Temple-
gardens. Perhaps the chief features in both contracts will
be the now steamboat piers and landing-stairs for small
boats. In every case these will be, alike in extent and
convenience of arrangements, incomparably superior to
those to which we have been hitherto accustomed. On
No. 1, the larger contract, five new piers, averaging 250 ft.
each in length, are to be constructed—viz., ono at West-
minster, two at Hungerford (one at each side of the bridge),
and two at Waterloo, in the same way. The quantities of
materials used or to be used on these great works are
almost fabulous. In No. 1 contract there are 420,000 cubic
feet of timber in use ; 30,000 cubic feet of granite have
already-been built in, and 67,000 ft.. more are ready for im-
mediate use. Here also they have at work ten of Murray's
chain pumps, varying from 500 to 2,000-horse power each,
and 30 steam engines, ranging from 5 to 20 horse power.
There is a most ingenious pneumatic apparatus, by which
air is forced in by steam to prevent the waters rising from
below; the pressure has actually been so great that the
water from the bottom has pushed the men at work
through the top of the caisson. There are 15 barges con-
stantly employed in bringing atone, bricks, lime, and
cement to the spiy() of this No. 1 contract, and 30 more
barges bearing tilling in stuff from the river bed. Upwards
of 20 millions of bricks have been already laid, and three
quarters of a million are on the spot ready fur use. There
are 14,000 bushels of cement on the works, one in every 20
of which is severely tested before used-2,000 bushels a
week are required. There are 3,000 tons of iron of all
sorts in use, two-thirds of which is in plant, 250,000
yards of excavation have already been made, and 15,000 of
concrete used up to the present time. There aro 100 and
odd horses and carts daily employed, and there are over
800 men now on the works, exclusive of some 200 masons
in quarries in Scotland—whence the greater part
of the granite used comes—and also in Ireland and the
Channel Islands. Labour is just now scarce and high-priced.
The skilled men earn from Gs. to 7s. a day, and the common
labourers from 3s. Gd. to 4s. Gd. This is better paying em-
ployment than Fenianism. From Westminster-bridge there
are 600 ft. of the low level sewer completed. It is built into
the wall, and aliove it is a subway for gas and water. Vitri-
fied bricks are used for the sewers. The rest are known as
" washed" bricks, some of which were made down the Great
Western Railway and others latterly on the Medway, near
Maidstone. They are considered by the initiated to be first
class bricks. The old York Gate is to be removed from
the bottom of Buckingham-street to a site opposite the
centre of Whitehall-gardens, where there will be a landing
stage for small boats. There will also be another such land-
ing stage between Waterloo and Hungerford bridges, equi-
distant from the steamboat piers. 700 ft. of granite wall,
founded on concrete 15ft. below the river bed, has already
been carried up to high-water mark. Four rows of cast-iron
pipes 3ft. in diameter are to be brought from the rear of the
Duke of Ncrthmnberland's gardens, near Scotland-yard, to
the river, to carry off the storm water of the large sewers
now running into the Thames. Under these will bo the
pneumatic railway, from this point to Waterloo. Seine of
the caissons have been sunk, on this portion of the work,
to a depth of 50ft, but the average depth is 35ft. or 36ft.
It takes a week, usually, to sink a caisson, but there was
one instance in which it took six months. 400 ft of iron and
timber dams are now finished on this contract, and the work
is being steadily carried on; but it will most probably take
take two years to bring the embankment road and railroad
to that state in which they can relieve the streets of any
portion of their present traffic. On contract No. 2, which
is about half the size of No. 1, extending from Waterloo-
bridge to the east end of the Inner Temple-gardens, the
works are being carried on with energy. Along the whole
length of the works, with the exception of some 300 ft.,
the tidal waters are excluded. The means used for
this purpose by Mr. Ritson have been coffer dams. There
are here 250 feet of the river wall, sewer, and subway
brought up to the required level of the roadway in two
separate levels of 120 and 130 feet respectively. Between
these will be the Temple steamboat pier, which will be a
fine piece of work, when completed. . Opposite Somerset-
house there is a long dam 400 ft. in length. Little more
filling matter is now here required from the land, the
Thames Conservancy dredges sending sufficient stuff from
the bed of the river. On this contract 600 men, 15 horses,
and a large amount of steam power are employed, and the
work is pushed forward as vigorously as possible. On con-
tract No. 1 Mr. Furness has had several large photographs,
taken by Messrs. Dollamore and Bullock, of Regent-street
showing the principle of "timbering" adopted, as likewise
the system of " staying," and the application of iron and
timber dams, all of which would be most interesting to
engineers. The approach from the west to the embank-
ment will be at Westminster-bridge, part of the parapet
wall of which, opposite Palace-yard, will come down for
this purpose. The exit, going eastward, will be at Black-
friar's-bridge, from which there will be a straight street to
the Mansion-house. It will be satisfactory to any one who
has not been upon the river for some years to find that its
water is evidently more pure than it used to be.

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.—At the last sitting M.
Serres communicated a paper on the Glyptodon
clavipes, an enormous antediluvian quadruped of the Arma-
dillo genus, but of the size of an elephant. Hitherto no
complete skeleton of this wonderful animal has been found.
Owen, Lund, Nodot, Huxley, and Burmeister had only had
incomplete fragments at their disposal ; but M. Serres has
at length succeeded in reconstructing its skeleton, which
will very shortly be exposed to public view at the Museum
of Comparative Anatomy at the Garden of Plants. The
total length of the creature is 3 30 metres, or nearly 11
feet ; its height from the ground to the top of the crests
which support its bony armour is 4 feet. The head, which
had only been until now described on the evidence of mere
fragments belonging to different individuals, is en-
tire ; its vertical diameter is equal to its transver-
sal one, viz., about 154 inches. M. Faye announced
that having received a volume published by Dr.
Spoerer, containing some further details respecting
the rotation of the sun, ho had compared the. observa-
tions of Dr. Spoerer with Mr. Carrington's, and found that
there either must be a mistake in the results obtained by
these two distinguished astronomers, or the velocity of the
sun's rotation must have abated during the last six years,
the latter alternative being, in his opinion, the most pro-
bable. M. Jeannel sent in a note on a new way of easily
metal to be tested, and boil it in all exceHssisof
ascertaining,_n whether there exists any lead in the tin used
methodnitrie con-
sists it? culinary vessels in hospitals.
in is—Take about five decigrams of scrapings of the
diluted with one-thirdof
weight of water. When the
solution 1-4 complete,
filte
contains but a ten-
thousandthiodide of potassium. If ithaendl. then put in a crystal of
part of lead a
3.1.11.
v precipitate will be
formed, which will not disappear by the addition of an
excess of ammonia.
The French Academy of Fine Arts, in its sitting
of Saturday last, awarded the Bordin prize to MM. Louigs
and Rene Menard ; the Valroy prize to M. A 1.,.
e Thom.
d'Agiout ; the lan:a/tout prize to U. Justittcad3.ux ; and
the Chaztior prize to M. Loon Gabtinet.