The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1888. THOSE MICROBES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1827, 28 April 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1888. THOSE MICROBES.

In a letter addressed the " Lyttelton Times" of Thursday Mr E. W. Humphreys brings forward a very important matter for consideration m connection with the Pasteur proposal for the extermination of the rabbits by inocula tion with the microbes of chicken cholera. Taking for his text the following prssago from tho " Home News " of March 8, viz : " Rabbit cholera might become fatal to sheep, and thus to human beings wherever Australian mutton is eaten," Mr Humphreys points out that while, before adoptin g the Pasteur system, tho people of the colonies might, and doubtless will, assure themselves that tho microbes are harmless to sheep and to the consumers of mutton, it is quite possible that the British public who are peculiarly sensitive m such matters may conceive a against meat raised on microbeinfested pastures, and that tho resultant effect upon tho frozen meat trade may bo very disastrous. Knowing as wo do how intense a prejudice prevailed against tinned meats, which wero rejected by tho pauper inmates of many a workhouse, it appears to us that the danger pointed out is a very real one, and if so it is all tho moro necessary that the most searching investigation should be mado before tho Colonies stand committed to an experiment which while putting an end to the rabbit pest may possibly at tho samo time put an end to our frozen meat trade. As is well said by tho " Lyttelton Times," m an article upon this subject : — " The parasite may not hurt tho sheep and cattle on which ho lives and foods. Neverthelesa, tho idea that ho is present m their flesh is not a nice idea for tho consumers of beef nnd mutton." And even though it can bo shown that coolfc ing completely destroys tho vitality of of these unpleasantjlittlo protegees of M. Pasteur, wo agree with our contemporary that " notlrng wil} over reconcile the average moat-eater to choleramicrobes/' Tho " Times " does not exaggerate tho possibilities of the situation when it adds : — " What a Bubject for the humourist 1 Potage a la Microbe I Bahni of Microbe- 1 Microbes on toast I Wo shall havo tho comic papers brimming over with these facetious things, and M. Dv Mourier will bo drawing a man with a microscope examining his Australian mutton for the microbe, ' which is dcu'ood to bo an attenuated cweechaw slightly slwanftulatcd m tho middle, don't you know.'" It is true that tho JRabbit Conference, now sitting m Sydney, is prosecuting careful enquiriea and experiments — (1) As to the communication of tha disease- to rabbits and its transmission from rabbit to rabbit. (2) As to whether tho disenso is transmittablo from rabbits to domostir animals both mammals nnd birdn, and (8) As to whether tho infection becomcß weaker m transmission from rabbit to rabbit. Information upon all these points is unquestionably noccesary, but it itt abovo all things desirable that inquiry sholud bo made noj; merely ns to tho co rimunicubility or non-coininuni-cability of diseaso irom rabbits to sheep and cattlo, but as to whether tho domestic animala are or are not proof against tho microbes. Tho possibility of the presence of tho 'microbes m tho moat, oven though tho health of tho animate bo not affected, would, wo fear, bo a fatal objection to tho adoption of tho Pasteur method, and tho Committee of Investigation should not terminate their labors without having exhausted this phaso of tho question. If thoy aro able to bliow conclusively that there is no danger on this head, then and not till then may M, Pasteur bo wolcomed as the saviour of tho pastoral interest.