Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1875. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 428, 23 January 1875, Page 2

Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 1875. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Having in a late issue promised \o summarise the papers in the report of the Conference of Inspectors of Stock held in Sydney in last November, we now pro ceed to the first, that of Mr. Bruce, Chief Inspector of Stock, New South Wales, on pleuro-pneumonia. Tho nature of the disease is thus defined by him: — " Pleuro-pneumonia in cattle has its seat in the first instance in the blood, being febrile in its earliest stages, but becoming typhoid in its second and third or last stages, with a specific termination m^clisease. -p 1 *™-™*} ••*«»- Changes in which (in the shape of inflammatory exudation) hold the same relation to the true disease that the eruption in small pox does to the blood state in that disease." The' disease is therefore not local but in the blood, and may exhaust itself in the febrile stage. The cause of it, as pronounced by six of the highest authorities in Great Britain, is infection and contagion. It was first introduced into Victoria in 1858, since which time upwards of 1,750,000 head of cattle have died through the disease, representing, at £4 103. per head, a money loss of £8,000,000. Stamping^put the disease being impossible, stock owners began to look about for another means of combating the disease. They turned to inoculation, which was recommended by Mr. Cleote, of"*Zandolet, Cape Colony. The first experiments proving encouraging, it began to be practised generally over the colonies, and tip to date upwards of 1,500,000 have been inoculated in Australia. Stock owners of upwards of 200 cattle being asked for their opinion on its use, 501 replies from these — from 279 inoculators, and 222 non-inoculators — are summarised as follows: — Taking both classes of returns together, there were in all, 100 neither for nor against "inoculation ; 339 in favor of it ; and 62 against it ; or, upon the whole returns, about 5| to 1 against non-inoculation. It further appeared from the returns that the disease, according to the size of the herd, disappeared in the course of a few weeks or months where inoculation was practised, and not till several year 3 where it was not so. When these returns were published, inoculation became m^re general, and with more decided results. It is also shown that cattle that had been inocuJated when sound mixed with impunity with tne diseased. In some cases there has been failure from the cattle being ilready diseased when inoculated, from the use of improper virus, from a wrong mode. of operating, and from its having beeu done in very hot weather. In England, high authorities uphold this remedy ; and the dairymen in the suburbs of London practise it, and out of 32 who who had practised it, 30 were decidedly in favor of it. On the continent of Europe, at the first International Veterinary Congressof Veterinary Surgeons from all, parts of Europe, some went so far as to propose a law to render it compulsory. Then follows in the paper a list of proposed resolutions, some of which we have glanced at in our former article. He thus summarises the conclusions at which he has arrived :—l.: — 1. That as in all other parts of rthe world, so in Australia, every attempt to cure this disease has proved an utter failure. 2. So also with attempts to stamp it out made in the Colonies through the impossibility qf maintaining a perfect quarantine. 3. That inoculation is now very generally practised, and hag proved L a thorough preventive.

Thence only two courses are left ;— either to let matters stand and expose stock owners to a yearly loss of half a million, or render inoculation compulsory. Mr. Bruce also submits a statement as to the mode of operating. At present,, he says, cattle are usually innoculated on the outside of the tail, about one to one and a half indh from the tip, in one or other of the four following ways :— l. With a lancet or knife dipped into the virus. 2. With a grooved inoculating knife. '3. With a needle like an elongated spaying one five inches long, and a thread saturated with virus. 4. With a needle fastened in a handle like a bradawl with eye in the point by means of which short threads saturated with virus are inserted in the tail. He prefers, however, Method No. 3. He also prefers for virus that taken from the lung in the second stage of the disease, and that found in the cavity of the chest near the lungs, but skill is required in selecting a proper animal for slaughtering, from which the virus may be taken. Directions are also given as to how to treat the swelling should any occur after the operation, if at the root of the tail or hind, quarters : If soft, cut with a pen knife and insert a pledget of tow, saturated Venice turpentine, butyr of - antimony, black oil or blistering ointment ; if hard a hot iron raised to a white heat might be tried in an incision made right through the gathering.