THE MYSTERIOUS CATTLE DISEASE IN SOUTHLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1850, 7 February 1889, Page 3

THE MYSTERIOUS CATTLE DISEASE IN SOUTHLAND.

Wellington, February 4s. Some mysterious disease has played havoc amongst cattle and horses of certain well defined portions of the WSTinton district, in Southland, for the last 15 months. The Government lately requested Mr George Thomson science master of the Dunedin High School, to investigate the matter, and that gentleman has just submitted a detailed report to the Minister of Lands. He finds that at least £6OO worth of stock has succumbed to the disease in question, which, however, it is almost certain is neither infectious nor contagious in its nature, while there is nothing special in the vegetation of the district to account for it. Judging from the general symptoms and from the observations made in a post mortem examination of one of the affected beasts Mr Thomson believes that thediseaseis due to internal parasites, chiefly in the lungs and stomach, probably arising from the food growing on the low lying land in the valley of the Ofeti river, which is under water for seyeral months in the year. _ The ailtnent is confined to the animals that graze on the inundated land, stall-fed stock being almost entirely free from it. Mr Thomson recommends that he should be authorised to make further investigations, which would only cost a few pounds, and says that whether he is right in his exposition as to the nature of the djiaease or not, the nature of the surroundings seem to have much to do with it, so that it would be desirable to carry out drainage works by way of a remedy.