The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1220, 24 April 1880, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, APRIL ft& 1880.

The treatment of inoculation for the prevention, not cure, of pleuropaeumonia is one which must force itself upon the attention of the stock-owning public and the Legislature. This proposition, however, inolu4eiM>w©"plMtses of the question, and on the present occasion we shall content ourselves with investigating from reliable sources placed at our disposal the merits and demerits of inoculation as a preventive. A strong prejudice prevails against it amongst a soction of this community, a prejudice, we believe largely shared in from the very fact that so little practical knowledge of its use and results has fallen to the most of us. A feeling has got abroad that a large percentage of the cattle inoculated die from the result of the operation, and that uninoculated cattle coming in contact with inoculated cattle take the disease from them, that, in fact, if any man were to inoculate his cattle he would be spreading the disease of pleuro-pneumonia amongst the hitherto clean cattle of his neighbours. Now, from the evidence obtained on the snbject, neither of these objections will be found tenable, and we have before us an interesting report on the infectious and contagious diseases of stock prevailing in Europe, together with directions for inoculation for pleuro-pneumonia, by Alexander Bruce, Chief Inspector of Stock for New South Wales, published in 1874, and a number of voluminous reports published in the Parliamentary papers of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, for the year 1875-6. As in Waikato, so in the neighbouring colonies, the attempt was made when the disease first appeared in a district to stamp it out by the wholesale destruction of cattle, but after great loss to the State, ruin to individual holders, and that a great number of cattle had been destroyed and large sums of money wasted in the payment of expenses and compensation, this plan had to be abandoned as a failure, and stockowners had to look around for some other means of combating the disease. We need not enter at length into how and why inoculation was the other means resorted to, yet so it was. At first, as might have been expected, the results though favorable were no as much so as anticipated, but the reasons were not far to look for. First, the cattle when operated upon were badly diseased, owners did not inoculate until thoroughly alarmed, and did not become so till he had perhaps lost 15 or 20 per cent, of his cattle. To inoculate then, was to expect not simply prevention but cure from the process, which was unreasonable. Again, improper virus was at first used. Virus taken from the lung of an animal which had died frQm the disease was often used, and of course with the most deleterious results, and stockowners were imposed upon by pretended professional inoculators, who, so long as they could travel the country as they did, earning their £o to ,£lO a-day, used any virus, caring little for the after success of the operation, Jn other cases

wrong methods of operating were adopted, and the operation was performed during too hot a state of the weather. Yet, notwithstanding that the first attempts at inoculation were made under very unfavorable circumstances, we have it on the authority of Mr Bruce that a very large majority of the stock-owners in all the colonies from the first expressed themselves strongly iv favor of the operation, and that that majority has since gone on steadily increasing. "Thus," says this official, " when the opinion of " the stock-owners in New South " Wales was asked in 1867 it was " found that only in six districts out " of thirty-four were they reported " by the inspectors as not in favor " of inoculation, and in only one of " these six districts did the owners " express themselves decidedly " against it. Again in 1869, when " the opinions of the owners in the " same colony who wera possessed "of 200 head of cattle and up- " wards was taken, it . was found " that of the owners who had in- " oculated their cattle — and a very " large majority of them did so — " there were 14 to 1 in favor of " inoculation, and since then the " number of its supporters has still " further increased, for a good many " of those who were then opposed " to inoculation have tried it with " such decided success as now to " believe most implicitly in its " efficacy." Nor are we left altogether without the reasons of their belief, which for conciseness we may sum up as follows: — That where inoculation was properly tried the disease left the herd always, whatever its size, before three months after inoculating, while the process of stamping out continued, with great loss, for from two to six years, according to the size of the herd, before the disease was eradicated, and that even then the uninoculated herds were always subject to subsequent attacks ; while cattle once properly inoculated while sound, with a few solitary exceptions, never afterwards became diseased, although frequently mixed and sometimes even put into the same paddock with uninoculated cattle which were dying of the disease ; and, lastly, that when proper virus was used and the operation properly performed the deaths never exceeded more than than two, seldom more than one, per cent. As regards the possibility of inoculated cattle extending the disease to inoculated cattle with which they may be brought in contact ; that matter too seemed to have been satisfactorily disposed of. But of all the owners appealed to in New South Wales for their opinions, the question of whether inoculation introduces and keeps disease alive, was answered in the affirmative by two owners only, and then it must be borne in mind that in a large number of herds, none of the cattle were inoculated until after the disease had already appeared. Of the efficacy of inoculation as a preventative, the evidence is overwhelming. Seventy-eight returns testify to the mixing of inoculated cattle with diseased ones without risk or loss. One instance states the case of an inoculated working bullock, which for experiment was yolked up with a diseased one, and the latter died without infecting the former. One owner states that his pure herd inoculated for six years, has been in frequent contact with cattle suffering from pleuro-pneumonia, but taken no disease. We could multiply evidence of this kind, \>ut have not space to do so. Finally we may state that experiments made on the I continent of Europe, and America, bear out the testimony collected by the New South Wales Legislature, in favour of inoculation, and the leading men of the day, Professor Ganigee of London, Professor Williams of Glasgow, and a host of British Veterinaries, such men as Professor Gerlach, Dh*ector Roll, and Mores Bowley, heads of the Veterinary Departments in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, are all firm believers in the efficacy of inoculation. What the results were of a careful investigation, into the matter at home and on the continent, we shall leave to further consideration in our next issue.

It is doing no more than the commonest jnstice to Mr Fantham to say that his last action is deserving of as much commendation from impartial and disinterested witnesses as his energetic conduct during the past few weeks is of the gratitude of every cattle owner in the colony. It is hardly necessary to repeat what we said the other day, but in order to be clear we may as well recapitulate the fact : In November last, the bull Lord Darlington, when on his journey from Auckland, contracted inflammation of the lungs, and the disease shortly settled into what competent veterinary surgeons call tuberculosis or consumption, a disease sometimes named pleuro-pneumonia, which is neither contageous nor infectious. Since then, the bnll has been treated for this disease, and although it appeared to grow worse rather than better, Mr Fantham had not entirely given up the hope of his recovery. Since the outbreak of epizootic pleuro - pneumonia, dark hints have been thrown out to the ! Board that they would find the disease by looking much nearer home than they were in the habit of doing, and these indefinite assertions failing to produce the desired effect culminated at last Saturday's meeting of the Cattle Board, in tjie openly ex-

pressed opinion that what was an infectious disease in one case was merely " consumption " or bronchitis in another. Silly and groundless as these statements were, and made only for the purpose of damaging Mr Fantham in the eyes of the public, they determined that gentleman on a course of action which will raise the already high estimation in which he is held. He at once determined that as soon as the consulting veterinary surgeon, despatched by the Government to Waikato, should arrive he would request that gentleman, with Mr Naden, to inspect his cattle. This resolution was carried in.to effect on Wednesday afternoon last, Messrs Michie and Naden being accompanied by Mr Allom, V.S. The bull was at pronounced to be suffering from consumption, a disease which, to repeat the surgeon's own words, "is neither contagious nor infectious." At the suggestion of these gentlemen Mr Fantham unhesitatingly gave his consent for the destruction of the animal and he was accordingly killed, the post mortem revealing what has all along been accepted by unbiassed persons, that the bull was free from all traces of the terrible disease which has unhappily broken out in this district. Not content with this, however, Mr Fantham desired the professional gentlemen to examine the remainder of his herd, giving them full permission to kill any they desired. It will be welcome news to all to hear that the rest of the cattle were also declared free from infection. It is no mere figure of speech to say, then, that the man who so acted is deserving of the best thanks of the community. He has shown that he was thoroughly in earnest when he said some weeks ago, in advocating the destruction of diseased cattle, that if the disease were to break out in, his own herd, he would ask the Board to follow out the same course in his case as he advised in the ca^e, of others.

The importance of the subject, rather than the character of the letter, necessitates our making some remarks on the communication signed by Mr Strange, and which appeared in our columns of Thursday last. In Mr Strange's opening remarks he states that our personal interest is in danger. Our only interest in a matter of this kind is the public interest, which we shall not cease to advocate, undeterred by insinuation and unbiassed by prejudice. With the public interests our own are closely allied, and to that extent and no further are we interested in the question raised by Mr Strange. In regard to the charge made against us by Mr Strange of our misquoting and construing (we presume' he means misconstruing) his words, we must refer our readers to the original letter published by Mr Strange and our remarks thereon, and we are satisfied with making the statement that a perusal of the articles referred to will show Mr Strange's charge to be without foundation. Mr Strange states in his letter that the Thames (we presume he means the Thames people) doe's not want the Waihou River snagged between Omaha and Paeroa. We may not be so well acquainted with the wishes of the Thames people as Mr Strange, but we must give them credit for more penetration and acuteness than Mr Strange's idea of their wishes pre-supposes them to possess. Presuming that the railway is eventually made to Grahamstown, we put it to Mr Strange himself, or to anyone possessed of common sense, whether it would not be advisable in the meantime to remove the only bar to good communication (the snags in the river) between the upper and lower parts of the Thames district ? and we are disposed to think, even at the risk of disagreeing with Mr Strange, that our ideas as regards the wishes of the Thames people are in this particular more correct than his. The whole history of the Thames and of its public -spirited and far-seeing citizens is against the supposition that they will refuse what will be of great advantage to them because they think they are entitled to something that may benefit them still more. We are much amused at Mr Strange's description of our presumed "friend or prompter" and the contradictory things he does, the varieties of character he is supposed to represent, and the numerous localities in which he is presumed to reside. At one time, according to Mr Strange, our friend prompts us and is personally interested in this matter, anon he is a fellow-settler that some of his words may possibly ,hurt, presently he is ignorant of the Upper Thames, then he turns out to be an Upper Waikato man who is afraid Mr Strange has proposed an easier route to the Lake country than that by way of Cambridge. We were not previously aware that we had such an übiquitous individual on our staff, but we are obliged to Mr Strange for bringing him to light. In our former article a printer's error occurred, the word "Waitoa" being substituted for "Waihou." We thought the meaning was so obvious from the context that we did not deem it necessary to correct it in a future issue. Upon this mistake, which is self-evident, Mr Strange hinges a great part of his letter, and that is the only portion of it which is at all to the point ; although here his arguments are fallacious, and for this reason that in the district spoken of, the Waitoa and Waihou Rivers are only separated by a distance of from two to four miles, so that any argument based on the non-navigable oharacter of the Waitoa River is entirely wide of the mark. We do not desire to say anything disrespectful of Mr Strange, but we do wish that his remarks were a little more intelligible. He so mixes up "this line" and the "other line, "and " this land"' and the "other land, "that it is difficult to make out which land he mops by " this," and what line ho refers

to when he uses the terms quoted. He also says that " somebody must be in th/ 3 right place." What that refers to, or whether it has any connection with the subject on hand, we are at a loss to understand. Our editorial mind has been unable to evolve any hidden meaning from its perusal, and we are afraid we must leave its solution to the author. In one sentence Mr Strange informs us " That he bought a farm near the suggested line, the land being very good. " We are very glad indeed to hear it, but would suggest that it would be more appropriate if Mr Strange would publish this fact through the medium of our advertising columns. He also says that some of the words he has used in his letter may possibly hurt a felloAV-settler. We really think Mr Strange may have no anxiety on this point. So far as the two letters we have perused enable us to form an opinion, Mr Strange's words are not at all calculated to injure anybody or anything, except, perhaps, the impracticable scheme which, no doubt, with good intentions he so warmly advocates. We are quite of Mr Strange's opinion that the interests of the country and the public should decide a question of this kind, and not "present personal interest." It is because we are so anxious for the former and so careless of the latter that we have devoted so much space to the consideration of this subject, and have given Mr Strange's letter a prominence to which it would not have been otherwise entitled.

His Grace Archbishop Steins will officiate in the Catholic Church, Ohaupo, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, the 16th of May.

We have already explained in these columns the provisions of the Act of last session under which the electoral roll of the colony will be made up, and the is now close at hand when nonelectors must look to it or they will find their names left out of the new electoral roll. As yet, little or no interest has been taken in the matter by those most concerned, and it is certainly surprising to see so many individuals in both the Waikato and Waipa electoral district who could lay claim to a vote under the residental clause, yet who let the opportunity slip by them unheeded. The rolls are to be completed early in May, so there is really no time to be lost. The Registrar has issued notices stating that necessary forms can be procured at the Court-house and at the various police stations in both the Waipa and Waikato electoral districts. These must be filled in and sent to the Registrar, at the Court-house, Hamilton. 1 here is no fee to pay and little or no trouble attached to filling up the form and obtaining the attesting signature, as any elector of the district is a legal witness to the signature of the applicant. All that is required is that the applicant shall have been twelve months in the colony and six months resident in the electoral district, to the electoral roll of which he seeks to have his name attached. As a matter of public duty, as well as private inclination every man amongst us qualified to vote should see that he is registered. By so doing he strenthens the hands of the representative of his district in Parliament, and advances the the claim of his particular district to the consideration of the Legislature, for the voice of a constituency speaking through its members is in a great degree estimated by its electoral strength. It is hard to say when a dissolution may not take place, and then, according to' the provisions of the Act, no new names could be placed upon the list until the elections had taken place. The same rule would occur in the case of an individual member of the constituency resigning.

There exists no more diversity of 3 pinion on the subject of religion than lere does regarding the nature and fitness of practical joking. Some people can never be brought to believe there is a time for joking and a time when such indulgence is not only unnecessary but indiscreet; that though there are subjects upon which their wit and humour may alight and play with propriety there are others upon which the scintillations of their fancy fail to produce any appreciable result. A gentleman has been found with fecundity of genius sufficient to lead him to attempt the perpetration of "a joke on the subject of Pleuro pneumonia. His ponderous witicisin was of a practical nature and took the form of a large case of bottles, each one of which was labelled: — "Pleuro pneumonia; an effective remedy when given very early 'in the disease. Give one bottle every eight hours ; allow the animal plenty of water." This parcel was sent, carriage unpaid to Mr. Fantham and was accompanied by a letter dated from Anckland to the effect that the medicine was an old family remedy and would not fail to cure seven per cent, of the animals affected. Whether or not, the joke was appreciated by the receiver he refused to pay the the carriage of what he has since discovered to be a cancoctioh of salt and dirt. Filthy as the stuff undoubtebly is, it is questionable whether it does not " smell sweeter" than the action of the person who could find no better method of occupying his time than in its manufacture.

We direct the attention of the Kirikiriroa Highway Board to the fact that a portion of the planking on the bridge at Steele's cutting on the Cambridge road has rotted, leaving a nasty hole at the end of the structure. This should be attended to at once.

The goods remaining over from the Wesleyan bazaar were sold by auotion on Thursday evening, and brought the total amount of the proceeds up to a little over £100. At the conclusion of the sale the Rev. Mr Griffin moved a vote of thanks to all who had kindly assisted in furthering the objects of the committee, more especially Mr N". R. Cox for the use of the building, the auctioneers (Messrs Kennedy Hill and Knox), and the Hamilton Light Infantry Band. The vote was carried by acclamation.

An entertainment in aid of the Cambridge Athletic Club takes place next Thursday evening in the Cambridge Public Hall. All accounts against the Wcsleyan bazaar must be sent to Mr French to-day. Persons are cautioned against trespassing on certain land in pursuit of game. A meeting of the ratepayers of the Hamilton Highway District will be held at James' Railway Hotel to-day.

A dull clergyman having written some observations on Shakespeare's plays, brought a specimen of his work to Sheridan, and asked his opinion of it. "I wonder people won't mind their own affairs," said Sheridan ; " you may spoil your own Bible, if you please, but pray let ours alone." Ricnzi, Wagner's grand oppra, was on Jan. 10 produced for the fir*t time in England at Her Majesty's Opera, London, with the following cast: — Oolla Rienzi, A. Schott (his fir3t appear.tnce on the English stage); Stefans Colonna, Leslie Cvotty; Paolo Orsini "Walter Bolron; Raimondo, George Conly ; Irene, Mdlle. Marie Lido; Adriano, Miss Josephine