The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-02 00:00:00

officially reported at the War-office since the Ist of
August :—Generals : The Right Hon. Sir George
Brown, G.C.8., K.H., Colonel-in-Chief of the
Rifle Brigade, and Colonel of the 32nd Light In-
fantry ; and Sir F. Stovin, G.C.8., K.C.M.G.,
Colonel of the 83rd Regt. ; Major-Gen.T. O'Brien.
Majors : C. A. G. Browne, 4th Queen's Own Hus-
sars ; and F. 11. De Vere, Royal Engineers (from
the effects of a gunshot wound, received while on
parade at Brompton barracks, Chatham). Cap-
tains : B. C. Hitchins, Royal Artillery ; 0. Davies,
Ist Battalion 11th Regiment; C. A. Shortt, 66th
Regiment ; C. Wilkinson, Paymaster, 3d West
India Regiment ; and J. Haviland, Quartermaster,
2d Dragoon Guards. Lieuts.—G. L. Harvey, Ist
battalion 7th Royal Fusiliers ; C. M. Tubbs, 33d
Regiment; R. L. Gwatkin, 94th Regiment ; and
G. W. Reveley, 30th Regiment. Ensign J. C.
Leckie, 95th Regiment. Quartermaster W. Clarke,
Royal Staff Corps. Dep.-Assist.-Commissary.-Gen.
Stanton. Surg.-Major J. W. Mostyn, M.D., 76th
Regiment. Surg. A. G. Montgomery, 46th Regi-
ment. Assist.-Surgs. R. C. Crean and J. S. Joyner,
Royal Artillery ; and H. P. Gregory, Staff. Dep.-
Assist-Superintendent of Stores, J. E. Cheetham
(accidentally drowned).

German Report upon the Cattle Murrain.

BREMEN, Aug. 30.
The following report, drawn up by two German
veterinary surgeons, of a recent visit to London to
examine into the cattle murrain, has been furnished
by the agent of the North German Lloyd at Norden-
amm

" On Wednesday, the 9th inst., we, the under-
signed,were requested to be atNordenhamm, if pos-
sible, the following morning. Upon our arrival we
were asked by the agent of the North German
Lloyd, who had consulted with several of the chief
cattle exporters, to undertake a voyage to London
at once in the steamer Schwan, in the interest of the
cattle export from the Weser. The object of our
mission was, first, to examine as closely as possible
into the epidemic cattle disease raging in and
around London for some time past ; then carefully
to observe the treatment of cattle upon the
vessel during the voyage, upon arrival, and at
the time of disembarkation ; lastly, to use
every means in our power to prevent obstacles
being-opposed to the continued export of cattle from
these ports to England. Furnished by the agent
of the North German Lloyd with letters of intro-
duction to cattle dealers in London and with the
necessary funds, we left Nordenhamn in the steamer
Schwan, Capt. Christensen, at 4 p.m. on the 10th
inst. The vessel carried 347 head of large cattle, 2
calves, and 260 sheep. Favoured by very fine
weather, we arrived in the Thames at 2 p.m. on the
12th. At the beginning of the voyage the animals
were rather uneasy, trampled a good deal, and caused
considerable motion in the ship ; after a time, how-
ever, they became quiet. A sharp, penetrating smell
was easily perceptible in the 'tween decks of the ship,
which was quickly removed, upon a light breeze
springing up, by means of the excellent ventilation
and numerous air-pipes and wind-shafts. The
animals were several times watered, and it was easy
to see how greatly they were refreshed. The hay in
the racks, on the other hand, was hardly touched.
Upon arriving in the port we were introduced by
the captain to the veterinary surgeons stationed here
to inspect the cattle, and witnessed the rapid disem-
barcation of the cargo, all of which were thoroughly
healthy, not one being condemned. The cattle when
landed were immediately brought to carts standing
in readiness and transported to London, where
they are cleansed, and then driven into the adjacent
fields. Our next object was to study the murrain
prevalent in London as carefully as possible, and
to make ourselves acquainted with all its branches
and details. By the kindness and indefatigable
activity of a firm to whom we were recommended,
we were enabled on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday
to inspect several animals in various stages of the
disease, and to be present at the dissection of
slaughtered and diseased beasts, and a few which
had died a natural death. We were so fortunate
as to make the acquaintance of Professor Symonds,
who was engaged, with a veterinary surgeon
and two medical men sent over by the French Go-
vernment, in a close examination of diseased beasts
upon the spot of their seizure, and in dissecting those
most violently attacked. After we had been intro-
duced to this gentleman and had explained the ob-
ject of our mission, he received us with the utmost
readiness, and called our attention to everything of
special importance. The technical explanation of
the various phases of the disease, and the data of
each dissection would be too lengthy. The under-
signed, therefore, content themselves with making a
brief report of the appearance of beasts attacked by
the disease, and of the chief abnormal appearances
visible upon the dissection of such animals. The
diseased cattle inspected by us were English milch
cows and heifers. They appeared either excited with
staring gaze, protruding eyeballs and watery eyes,
or depressed and relaxed, with a dull, dim look, and
a flow of mucus from the eyes, the eyeballs having
rather receded. In all, cold shivering, coldness of
the horns, ears, and extremities were apparent, with
staring coat, trembling of the muscles, and increased
respiration. Foam and viscous mucus membranes
were now pale, now typhoid scarlet, and small sores
were to be seen upon the internal surface of the lips
and on the gums. In more advanced stages of the
disease the dung, at first hardish, becomes thin and
mixed with gelatine mucus, and partly with blood ;
in some cases large emphysema occurred under-
neath the skin. The duration of the disease is
short, death usually following within 24 hours.
In all the dissections we undertook, we constantly
found the principal appearances of disease in
the internal organs.to coincide—i. e., thin, tar-like,
slightly coagulable blood ; typhoid redness and infil-
trations of blood into the third and fourth stomachs,
the thin viscera, and partially the rectum, as well as
the air tubes and larynx ; looseness and increased
size of the intestinal glands, emphysema in the lungs
and ecchymosis in the left ventricle of the heart. In
some cases food was adhering firmly to the sides of
the third stomach, as if incorporated with them.
From all these symptoms in living diseased beasts,
and from the data arrived at by dissection of animals
slaughtered on account of being infected, it is ap-
parent that the murrain raging in and around Lon-
don is a typhoid disease, having very great resem-
blance to the cattle plague (rinderpest) prevalent in
Russia. Attempt to cure the disease is but rarely
possible, on account of its rapid progress. Of two
diseased cows brought to Professor Symonds at the
Veterinary College, one only was alive next day.
The treatment adopted had produced some improve-
ment, and we were promised a report of the issue of
the case. The opinion of the public and of practical
men is at variance, whether the murrain was intro-
duced from abroad, or has first developed itself in
England. It is, however, generally agreed that the
introduction is more probably from Russia than from
Germany, the former country being already ravaged
by a similar disease in the shape of the rinderpest.
The inspectors of cattle and Professor Symonds do
not say it was impossible that the disease might have
been introduced from Russia, but they are also of
opinion that it may well have arisen in the London
dairies, in some of which great want of cleanli-
ness prevails. Professor Gamgee, on the other
hand, firmly maintains that the disease was im-
ported from abroad. He says in one of the Eng-
lish newspapers—' This disease could no more have
spontaneously developed itself in England than the
mud in London streets can turn into living creatures.'
Although we ourselves did not venture to express
any decided opinion upon the question, we did state
frankly and confidently that this epidemic disease
never could have been introduced from Germany,
and most especially not from Oldenburg and Bremen,
as no malady of the kind has, thank God, occurred
here for many years ; and the Company of the
North German Lloyd has appointed veterinary sur-
geons to be present upon every occasion of em-
barking cattle from this district for England, whose
duty it is to exercise the strictest care that none but
thoroughly healthy cattle are sent on board. It has
very greatly astonished us that the English go so
carelessly to work with this disease, as it is reported
to have already acquired a considerable extent.
We could not at all approve the practice of taking
diseased beasts into the slaughter-houses, to be there
examined and killed, particularly in the neighbour-