ANTHRAX.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 35, 5 November 1907, Page 5

ANTHRAX.

, SERIOUS RAVAGES IN NEW SOUTH ' WALES. DT TEKGItArH—rRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Sydney, Novombor 4. The Govornmont Veterinarian reports that tlio death of cattlo last week —when, out of a mob of C 35 cattle, 555 died in ono nightwas due to anthrax.

This outbreak, it is believed, will not affect •Nfcw Zealand, in our trade ' with tho Continent. Bouedust, u.sed as a soil fertiliser, is impcrted from Australia, but on' account of its ill repute as a conveyor of anthrax infection, New Zealand keeps an officer stationed in Australia (and another in India) to supervise tho sterilising of all bonedust intended for this country. That system is still in force, and is officially considered a sufficient GafeKuard. Our lust outbreak of anthrax occurred o.i a farm twenty-five miles soutlyof Auckland, about two years ago, and was/ attributed to imported bonedust. New Zealand is now clean. Recent reports of the Chief Government Veterinary Surgeon and Pathologist of New Zoalaiul (Mr. Gilruth), show that he doubts whether the sterilising system, on which we rely, is entirely trustworthy. Wool is. somctimu's' a conveyor of anthrax, and deaths of w0.,1 operators in England have been attribute, 1 to that source. Inferior wool, such as that obtained from sheep dead of anthrax, is sometimes used in the manufacture of bags, which bags aro uswl (among other uses) for lidding linseed during pressure to obtain linseed oil. Tho residue is the basis of oil cako a cattlo food, and it has been suggested that infection derived from the wool in tho bag may bo conveyed in the oil cake. .