PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

New Zealand Herald, Issue 81, 16 February 1864, Page 4

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

AVi: continue; to hear reports on all sides of the spread of pleuro-pneumonia. At Ballaarat, says tho Si,',-, " the advancing ravages of pleuro-pneumonia have induced a greatly diminished consumption of 1» of, r.s many families have altogether banished the dish from thc-ir tables, from tlic fear of being injured in health by the inadvertent consumption of diseased meat. From lU)U to 7150 liead of cattle were formerly (liqioteu of per week lit the Tun Sale Yards, Jiallaarat, and en an average for the. same time from to 1200 sheep : but kw the sale of the former has diminished, and the butcher finds very little eall lor his beef. It a.nr.ot he denied that, whether riirht or wn.nff, a great prejudice exists in the public mind against" the consumption of beef, anil unless v.i]ni l'niim" is done in the way uf appointing inspec-ti.i-4 ofiilT cattle M ilt, into the market, we may expect to se< this branch ot' trade fall off considirablv. Asan instance of the injustice done to the butcher sometimer-. v.'c m;ty lucntuii that a few weeks ago a person in the trade purchased IS head of cattle at the Turf skill- Yard, six of which subsequently died with pleuri-pneumonia. The butchers want a guarantee, frcm the salesmen that the cattle sold are not i disear-ed. but the salesmen refuse flic concession, ; and tiie butcher finds his customers iiilling off, as ■ even an finds it much safer for his : health to give up the traditional joint of roast fceef ■ than to risk eating diseased meat. In order to remedy this grievance and restore public confidence, a meeting of butchers generally was advertised to ho held ai tin: Turf Hotel, on Tuesday. Everybody seemed tit consider that something should be dono in the matter, but few had the liaulihcod to come ; fonvauland support the pilomotors of the meeting, ' seme of whom hail bctn sufferers in pocket by the sale to them of cattle that died in a day or two after tin y wt_ie puicba.-ed. Some of the cattle salesmen, if not all, are anxious that something should he done, hut the majority of the butchers think that the le-s said about it tin; better ; and the result is that the respectable trader, who would scorn to invent in a cheap boast, ii (ids himself placed oil a level with others who are not to conscientious or scrupulous ; and, in addition, his business sutlers in conjunction with theirs. The meeting did not take place owing to the causes mentioned, but it was stated that a pcner.il meeting.of the trade would be held on an early day." It is so important to have opinions of practical men relative to this disease, that we cile fiotn a letter to a contemporary the following statement by Mr. George Maiden, of rerricoota, the manager of a large cattle .station. slr. ilaideil says :—" Kxctcising always the greatest care in the selection and pK'seivation of the virus, as well as in its u.-e, the issue has convinced me that tho process is a highly valuable preventive. Secondly, I have observed that the attack is more acute, and its progress to u critical point or a fatal termination more rapid in lan. than in cold weather. Thirdly, that •store cattle are mere liable to exhibit evident symptoms of the disease .-..'.0n after they exchange tho antiphlogistic regimen of the roads for the indolence and abundance of a fattening run ; whilst stationbiftl cattle 011 the same or adjoining runs arc comparatively exempt. Fomthly, T find that calves bred from tows inoculated whilst yet bearing the call', are not le.-s liable to disease than those dropped by ct.ws wltich have not been inoculated at all. Fifthly, in general the attack is more sudden and acute, the progress el' the disease more rapid, and the mentality greater among fit cattle; but the ntunler .-lightly aliccled, and who (so to Kpc-ak) lingtT longed, will be found to preponderate among store siock. To render my meaning as clear as possible, on a point which I regard as of great moment, I might say that in the former case the disease may lie called acute, in the latter chronic. AVliilst, theiofore, what experience I have had has rendered me a firm believer in tilt; ctiieiency of inoculation rationally conducted, I am bound to say that I also have seen sufficient to satisfy m<; that putrid inoculation is chargeable with all the sins of omission and commission urged bv Mr. Mitchell against it."—Mellourne Vosi.