PLEURO-PNEUMONIA IN SCOTLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1654, 1 November 1887, Page 3

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA IN SCOTLAND.

Theannual show of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland was held recently at Perth, but proved a great failure. The leading cause of this was the absence of cattle from the Show,' in’ consequence of the prevalence of jfieuro»pneumonia in certain districts. At the general meeting of members a good deal of discussion took place on the subject of the manner in which the disease should be grappled with, whether by inoculation or slaughter. The Society has appointed a committee to investigate the subject, and the convener of this committee, Mr Paterson, of Bicthwood, spoke at some length upon the matter. Among other thipgs, Mr Paterson said that “ he looked upon the slaughter of animals that was going on all over the country as one of the most hideous and'horrible things it was possible to contemplate.” In Lanarkshire they had killed every animal in every place except one, and there the cattle were healthy and pure because they had inoculated. The cost of this slaughter amounted to £12,000, so that if the inquiry now in progress cost £SOOO, or even £IO,OOO, as some said it would do, the expenditure would be small in comparison with the terrific loss which the disease caused to the country at large. Professor Williams, who is •veterinary surgeon to the Society, supported Mr Paterson in that he did /'not think the experiments now in progress would cost anything like £SOOO. He believed that the pleuro-pneumonia could be prevented without slaughtering the cattle. After some further discussion, in which hasty action either way was deprecated, the matter was left in the hands of the committee appointed to investigate it.