PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10650, 10 May 1895, Page 5

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

THE PERTHSHIRE’S CATTLE., A POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION, Mr Gilxutb, veterinary surgeon to the Stock Department, arrived in. Lyttelton yesterday morning, for the purpose of taking, steps in connection with tha Perthshire’s cattle, one of which had feosu stated to be suffering _ from, pleuropneumonia. After visiting the _ steamer and inspecting the stock in company' with Mr Holderness,. chief inspector of the district, a consultation was held' with Captain Wallace, of the Perthshire, who is tha person the authorities regard as having control of tha animals. It was resolved to slaughter tha beast which was in ill-health. The department rested for its authority to so set on Section 15 of the Stock Act, 1893, which reads a* follows : —"lf upon examination of any stock the inspector thinks the samp to be diseased, he is hereby authorised and empowered to kill one or more of such stock, for the purpose of deciding whether such stock are diseased or infected with »u infectious or contagious disease.” The animal, which was' stationed-, in.the after part of the,ship, and. whfch,h,ae;k|ieii<|

arrival in Lyttelton, was killed during the forenoon and its lungs were taken out for jthe purpose of deciding whether or not it liras suffering from pleuro. A bullock ■which bad died on Tuesday, and whicn was to be dropped overboard when the iship got outside, was also opened. Mr ißart-Allbon, who is iu charge of the consignment, inspected the lungs of the beast slaughtered yesterday morning, and did inot hesitate to cay that no signs of pleuro '.were present. The lungs we re inflamed as 'the result of a severe cold, but nothing more serious had, in bis opinion, developed.

RESULT OP THE POST-MORTEM. No information as to the result of the post-mortem was obtainable till late in the 'afternoon. As tbe time for the steamer’s ] departure drew near, a rumour to the •dffect that the Government had refused ]to grant her Customs clearance, without ■which she could not proceed to eea, gained [currency. Upon inquiry being made at [the Custom-house, this statement proved ito'.ba correct, but the cause of the action itakon was unknown, and Mr Holderncss {and Mr Gilruth both stated that they were jstill unable to disclose any particulars, ilt transpired at a iater hour, and when the {steamer had left tbe wharf for the stream, [that the local authorities were awaiting Instructions from Wellington. The result of the poet-moriam examination had been iwired to. the Stock Department, and when a reply was received action wo«W_ be {taken. About 4 p.m. the instructions arrived, and were to the effect that the steamer was to be allowed to proceed to eea. .

- Mr J. A. Gilruth was again seen by a representative of this paper, and gave {some inf ormation as, to the investigations. iMr" Gilruth stated that tho. examination 'was made by Mr J. R. Charlton, :JLR.C.V.S., and himself, with the result that the bullock killed yesterday was found to be suffering from contagious • pleuro-paeumonia, showing signs of an old cyst having recently started afresh. The other animal, which, died on Tuesday, and which was also examined, showed signs of gangrenous-pneumonia. Mr Gili ruth stated that Mr Charlton and himself j concurred in this opinion. Both bodies ■.were loft oa board, the steamer,, and will 'be thrown overboard when she gets to aea.

OTHER DETAILS.

From informatics gathered in Christchurch last night, it appears that the conaignmont of cattle, consisting of about one ! hundred and fifty head, was taken on •board the. steamer at Townsville, in Queensland. Some of tha cattle died on the voyage between Townsville and i Sydney, bun were replaced at the latter "port, and further deaths occurred between : Sydney and Lyttelton. On Monday Mr J. E.' Charlton, M.8.G.Y.5., was requested by the Government to inspect the consignment, and upon examination ha decided that one of the animals, a roan bullock, showed symptoms suspiciously rosnmblisg those of pleuro-pnemnonia. On Tuesday one of tha beasts died. On Wednesday Mr Charlton mado another inspection, when -•ha again expressed the opinion that the roan bullock wua probably Buffering from pleuro. Yesterday morning Mr Charlton was joined by Mr J. A., Giknth, M.E.C.V.S., the Government veterinary surgeon, who had just arrived from Wellington, and both gentlemen went on board the vessel, Mr Gilruth, after an examination of the stock, picked out the animal about which Mr Charlton had suspicions. This boast was selected for slaughter, and a post-mortem examination revealed the presence of pleuro- • pneumonia contagiosa, affecting two lobes of the-right lung. It may be stated that no batter opinion on the subject of pleuro-pnenmouia than that of Mr Charlton is obtainable in the colonies. For six years ha held an appointment nudor the Privy Council of Ireland to deal with contagious diseases, especially pleuro - pneumonia among cattle, and within the twelve mouths prior to hia departure for this colony he con’ldueted for the Privy Council one thousand ipoat-mortjia examinations.

RESOLUTION OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL • ' ASSOCIATION. " At the meeting of the committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral 1 Association, yesterday, the President (Mr iE. G. Staveley), in referring to the shipment of Queensland cattle on board the steamer Perthshire, in Lyttelton, said that it was a pity that the Government had, not insisted upon a post-mortem examination of the beast that had died, in order , that any doubts might have bean set at rest as to whether the animal was suffering from any. infectious disease or not. The refusal of the captain to allow the beast to be opened on the vessel ehould nob have been permitted to stand in tho way, as the body could have been removed to she quarantine station, where the examination could have taken place. Ho was afraid that rumours . that an outbreak of disease had taken . place amongst the. cattle might reach the . Old Country, and this might hav® a bad ©Sect on the trade In meat from New Zealand, owing to the ignorance that prevailed ’ in Great Britain as to the precise locality . of the colony, which was too often confounded with Australia, and it might probably be concluded, from the fact of the vessel having last loft . »■ New Zealand port, that, tho cattle belonged to this colony. He suggested . that the Government ohould be communi- , cated with,'and asked to send a report to the Agant-Gauerol ia London, pointing out that tho cattle had not touched tho shores of this colony. Mr S. Qacforth said that ho had Been the cattle on Saturday. Several of thorn looked rathor “tucked up,” which ho attributed to tho animals not taking to their feed and wafcsr. He was satisiied that there was no disease, but that sorao of the . animals were Buffering from a severe chill, ’iwhicb was probably tho efeofc of their - having been taken straight off tho euue in •itheir wild state, and the shipping and ’ change of conditions had excited them and Vumda thorn feverish. This, ho was saris.'fled, accounted for the death of ona of tho besata which took place on Tuesday. They appeared to be a fine lob of cattle, ranging from five to six years old. 1 The meeting expressed approval of Mr Starele/a suggestion, and he at once tcle» graphed to the Government.