THE EXTINCTION OF CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. (FROM THE QUEENSLANDER.)

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1218, 20 April 1880, Page 3

THE EXTINCTION OF CONTAGIOUS PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. (FROM THE QUEENSLANDER.)

Although inoculation is generally resorted to in this colony as a prevenI tative of pleuro-pneumonia, there i are still a few unbelievers who per- [ sistently assert that the operation ; does not secure immunity from the disease. If it be granted that the vast majority of stockowners who believe in and practise inoculation in this colony are in the right, then the action of the small minority who persist in opposing the pi'actise, or delay or refuse to inoculate their herds, commit a serious wrong by keeping the disease alive in the colonies, and not only so, but disseminating it by means of their stock travelled to market. We publish below an article from the Veterinary Journal for December lvst, giving the results of Mr Rutherford's success with inoculation in the Edinburgh Dairies, which would appear to place the matter of its efficacy beyond a doubt. This following so'sbon on tlie experiments at the Brown Institution, London, should we imagine carry conviction to the most sceptical. In a sparsely settled colony like Queensland, it would be difficult to organise the necessary machinery for enforcing compulsory inoculation; but, if a few cattleowners will refuse to adopt this simple means of proteption to their herds, we think the immense majority who do, and are satisfied as to its efficacy, have a very good case for urging for legislation to prevent all diseased or tainted herds from passing beyond the boundaries of their own runs. If this were adopted by this and the Southern colonies — and we believe the other colonies are ripe for some such action — then the total extinction of this dread disease that has caused the colonies the loss of so many millions of pounds since its first introduction in 18f>8 would only be a question of time. " There is at length a prospect of release from the ravages of one of the most serious scourges that ever visited the 1 bovine population of this or auy other country, if the Government cares to adopt these measures which have now been proved to be completely efficacious in extinguishing it. Contagious pleuro-pneu-monia still lingers in these islands, and will continue to do so in all probability until the end of time, unless its insidious contagiousness and protracted latency are fully recognised, and the utility of inoculation as a protective measure fairly acknowledged and resorted to when necessary. The mere slaughter and isolation of disease centres for a short time, as it is at present carried out will not extinguish the scourge. This is now amply evident from the experience of these measures not only in the three kingdoms, but also in those countries on the continent (as North Germany, Belgium, and France) where they are alone in operation ; whereas in the kingdoms where slaughter of the diseased, and protective inoculation of the as yet unaffected, are compulsory, the disorder has nearly been suppressed (as in Holland), or is altogether subdued. The persistency with which the value of inoculation has been ignored in this country would be astonishing did we not know how stubbornly some people shut their eyes to the light, and close their minds to. the reception of facts which are not in harmony with preconceived notions, or are adverse to opinions hastily promulgated and based on very imperfect knowledge, " The evidence in support of protective inoculation is now too serious to be sneered down, or made the sport of small witlings who joke about 'pleuro-pneumonia in the tail.' The accumulation of facts, the result of scientific research and practical observation, given in Professor Pulz's admirable monograph, published last year as one of Pflug's Vortra'ye fur Thierarztc, cannot be dispersed by the bluster of unreasoning incredulity or the assertions of the inexperienced. Every month this accumulation has been added to, and the most recent addition to the now extensive source of literature in favour of this measure — that of our accomplished colleague, M. Dele Government Veterinary Surgeon in Antwerp — is well worthy the perusal of the interested in the question. But perhaps the most convincing evidence which has yet been brought forward is that furnished by Mr Rutherford of Edinburgh. Perhaps no city in Europe has suffered more severely from contagious pleuropneumonia since its introduction into Britain than the Scottish capital. Its dairies have been cleared out again and again, and scores of dairymen have been ruined through its ravages. Inoculation was tried there and in the neighbourhood many years ago, but it was not practised in a scientific manner, and. the losses it inflicted were even more serious than the disorder itsalf; until -at last the, dairymen -would have no more of -it, and had to content themselves with their chance of escape or hurrying off all their stock to the slaughterhouse when the contagion appeared among them. A year or two ago Mr Rutherford arrived few Australia, where \&

ha<jl witnessed the wonderful Results of inoculation obtained in the practise of Mr Mitchell, F.R.0.V.5., of Melbourne. At that time the disease was rife in the Edinburgh dairies, and only afte? very great persuasion wW he allowed to try scientific inoculation on a few cows — the dairymen not only being incredulous as to any benefit to be derived from it, but averse to it, remembering, as they did, the mortality it occasioned years ago. But with a mortality almost nil, and absolute protection conferred upon the cows successfully inoculated, confidence in a measure was created, and now 3000 have been so protected. We say protected, for we are assured, and the assurance rests largely upon personal enquiry among the dairymen, that not one of these inoculated "cows has ever taken the disease, although exposed repeatedly to the infection; and so strong is now the belief in the protective influence of the operation, that the cowkeepers whom we interrogated declared they would have no hesitation whatever in allowing any uuniber of sick cattle to cohabit with their inoculated cows, as they were confident, from their experience, that the disease would not extend to them. Edinburgh is at present free from the scourge for the first time since 1841, and Mr Rutherford is now conferring on the districts around the immense boon he has conferred upon his native city. The mortality from inoculation is less than 1 per cant, and it would undoubtedly be much less were the directions to the dairymen fairly,carried out. Still further testimony in favour of the operation in Edinburgh is to be found in the fact that no inoculated cow killed in the abattoirs has ever shown any traces of the disease when its carcase was dressed. And the strongest proof, perhaps, of any that has yet been adduced is afforded by the handsome testimonial presented to Mr Rutherford by the Edinburgh dairymen, at a banquet to which he J has been recently invited by them, j in acknowledgement of the great service he had rendered them in this instance. Perhaps no class of men in the three kingdoms is so hard- j headed, shrewd, or difficult of conviction as these dairymen, and their affirmative evidence tendered in such a substantial manner speaks volumes for Mr Rutherford's sue- ' cess, " It.is curious that, while certain authorities have done their utmost to discredit inoculation, they have never attempted to explain, if they understood, its phenomena. There can be no douot that when properly performed, and when all clue care is exercised, it is as protective as, if not more so than, vaccination is of human variola; that the morbid process set up as the result of inoculation is specific, and is not witnessed, so far as we can ascertain, in any other than the bovine species, and that the entire organism appears to be affected. "Surely it would be worthy of Government to accept Mr Rutherford's challenge, and give him an opportunity of benefitting English cattle-owners, os well as those across the border. This pitiless and continued slaughter of diseased cows, and the terrible embarrassment to agriculturalists which the present fruitless measures produce, will soon become little short of a crime in presence of the absolute immunity and humanity which are the attributes of protective inoculation. It is for the country to put the necessary pressure on the Government — without this, affairs will, we may be sure, remain as they are. Anything that causes trouble will never be, has never been, adopted except under compulsion. It is high time we were "rid of lung disease, now we know how to extinguish it, but the Government must be compelled to adopt the necessary measures."