DR. DANYSZ'S MICROBES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 145, 19 June 1906, Page 4

DR. DANYSZ'S MICROBES.

Public opinion in all the Australian States just now is considerably perturbed over the arrival of Dr. Danysz, a French savant, with a choice assortment of microbes, which he declares will play havoc in the warrens of the superabundant bunny on the great Australian runs. The advent of the doctor is not ascribable directly to the action of the Government, but to an association of pastoralists representing all the States. But the Government of New South Wales had given countenance to the experiment, and expressed its willingness to set apart Broughton Island, which lies a few mile 3 from the coast, for the purpose of putting the French scientist's remedy to a practical test.

The preliminary correspondence, which preceded the advent of Dr. Danysz, commenced nearly two years ago, and it went on in a discursive kind of way without attracting very much attention or exciting very active opposition until the doctor was on his way to Sydney. Then a storm of remonstrances broke forth in the metropolitan journals of Australia, and was sustained witn so much vigour that the Federal Government intervened, on the ground that the proposed introduction of a contagious disease among the rabbits ot New South Wales might adversely affect the other States. The opponents of the experiment urge, wsth much cogency, that there is no positive assurance'that Dr. Danysz's microbe may not become a worse affliction than the rabbit. This we know to be the case with the stoats and weasels which runholders in this colony, regardless of the interests of everyone but themselves, were allowed by a squatter dominated Government to introduce into New Zealand. The microbe which the French scientist proposes to disseminate among the rabbits belongs to a class of bacilli members of which produce in various animals diseases known as hemorrhaegic septicaemia. But he considers that it differs from the other pasteurella with which it is nominally identified in the important fact that its deadliness is limited to the rabbit. Dr. Danysz asserts his absolute confidence in the immunity of other animals. He states that the disease arises spontaneously among rabbits in Europe, America, and Africa, and may already exist in Australia. All he proposes to do is to increase its virulence, and spread the contagion more widely by creating supplies of the deadly microbe for distribution among runholders. He further states that he has conducted exhaustive experiments with it in France, extending over a period of two years, and "mice, sheep, rats, goats, pigeons, fowls, pigs, and all the farm animals" are found to be absolutely immune from this disease. The public, however, have doubts on the subject; moreover, it is pointed out that even if it be true that other animals remain unaffected, the rabbit itself, which now forms a useful food, and represents a value of a million sterling in the export returns of the Commonwealth, will be rendered unfit for consumption; that no more than partial extinction can be hoped for from the spread of any disease, and while the pe=t may be reduced, the whole race of rodents will be destroyed as an article of commercial value.

To these objections Mr Carruthers. Premier of New South Wales, has replied that permission to introduce the microbes has only been granted under the most rigid restrictions. That they will, first of all. be made the subject jof extensive laboratory experiment*, ! under Government supervision. That j a test made on Broughton Island would ;be entirely free from risk. to the conI tinent, and that twentj- years ago ■ similar experiments were conducted, j under the auspices of the Pasteur Institute, on Rodd Island, in Sydney j Harbour, without injury resulting. • That the trade in rabbits has not been I affected by the extensive use of poi?onled pollard, poisoned wheat and water, i which it might reasonably be believed ! would cause a feeling of unrest. Pho.-;- ---■ phorus only destroys the entrails of | the animals, and the trade has surviv:ed the danger. There is also, the Prei mier indicates, fluke in sheep, which i puts an end to large numbers of the , animals. The disease is prevalent in . all countries where there are sheep, yet people do not give up eating mutton, i because it is known that the disease

!is not communicable to human beings. I But in any case the returns from the I export of rabbits and skins was insigi nificant compared with the destruction i these rodents cause. The shrinkage iin the value of land in New South : Wales through the rabbit pest is estimated at between £8,000.000 and I £10,000.000, and large areas of pastoral i lands have been rendered unusable.

j The discussion, proceeding vigorously jon these lines, has resulted in the postponement of the experiment on Brough- ; ton Island for possibly a year. In ithe meanwhile, laboratory experiments will be carried on with the object of testing the microbes upon various ; classes of animals which might become ! exposed to infection, if the employment iof the rernerlv were sanctioned.