Want of Veterinary Knowledge.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 103, 28 October 1897, Page 2

Want of Veterinary Knowledge.

The Sydney Mail, in commenting oa the neglect of veterinary science in Australasia, mentions so do of the mistaken made through ignorance by stock* owners, which may be quoted in support of the foregoing jotting. Tbe dangt»of mischievious results from the use of tuberculin by aninttr acted hands is forcibly pointed ont, as iJso is tbe evil of overstocking. " Man} flecks," it ii said, " which are supposed to be disease! are nothing more or less than starred. We know of cases in which the veterinarian tra Velled 400 miles, or more, to find that wkat were regarded as strange diseases were un mistakably the effects of star ration. . . . The mistakes made in inoculation are so numerous as to be almost too commonplace for reference. Two glaring ones may be mentioned. A mob ol first class fat cattle started from Queensland for this colony. They were placed in charge of a young gentleman, on 3 of the class known as colonial experiences. Pleuro being troublesome along the road, tbe instructions were that on any signs of the disease all the stock were to be inoculated. Two or threa of the cattle dropped and died suddenly, and this was taken aa a signal f>r inoculation, which was actually done with blood taken from a bullock wbhh had died of antbrax. The result wi.s most disastrous. The not uncommon error of selecting unsuitable serum for inoculation is tbe cause ef nios ; of the hard things said against inocula tion for pleuro. The disfigured tails which are of tea visible are unwelcome proofs of tbe operation not having been performed by skilful men. Many of tbo cattle owners are even now as ill informed regarding inoculation as was a certain well -known pastoralist who afterwards became a great man in politics. Soon after the commencement of inocu ation he was aaked by a neighbour how it should be done. ' Get a stick with a nail in the end, like a goad, and whju the beasts are in tbe yard dip tbe nail into tbe stuff and prod it where you can.' We could give several reminiscences of this kind, all of which would serve to support our contention that pastoral work would be subject to fewer losses if veterinary science were better appreciated. Australia is bow quite old enough to become a remunerative field for Hkilful veterinary eurgeans. What is required is more of ecic nee and less of quackery in the breeding, rearing and general treatment of horses, sheep and