INOCULATION FOR PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5759, 3 May 1880, Page 6

INOCULATION FOR PLEURO-PNEU-MONIA.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —One year ago, Dr. Burdon Sanderson, F.R.S., one of the highest authorities in the world, Professor-Superintendent of the Brown Institute for the Treatment and Study of the Diseases of Domestic Animals, reports that, although inoculation for pleuropneumonia does not produce the disease, nor any disease of the lnngs of animals subjected, yet, "that the results are so far satisfactory as to warrant further trial, due precaution being taken as to isolation of animals, &c." Dr. Sanderson operates by infusion into the vein at the back of the ear (with all respect, not a handy place for a lively Australian ox). Little local or systemic disturbance takes place, but " animals thus operated upon resisted infection, when exposed for months with diseased animals." Mr, Rutherford, V.S., at a meeting of the Scottish Veterinary Society, Edinburgh, last year, read a paper in main particulars supporting the system of inoculation as pursued at present in Australia, and advocated in your paper, by a Mr. Kelly, a week or two ago. On the other hand, Professor Law, writing to the New York Tribune, is diametrically opposed to all half-measures, instancing the disease being ineradicable in all countries where inoculation has been practised, and the cleanliness of all countries that have adopted the thorough stamping ont process. To be propbylatic, medical science teaches that the inoculating virus of a disease must produce that disease. In this, all evidence is adverse with regard to pleuro-pneumonia. In the Melbourne report of the Royal Commission npon pleuro pneumonia, signed by Dr. Black, J. T. Rudall, F.R.C.S., and T. 3. Ralph, M.R.C.S., England, after a state* ment of the most crucial tests that ever bave or could be employed, and all utterly failing to produce the disease, occurs the following :—"The essential nature of bovine pleuro pneumonia is as obscure as that of cholera, influenza, diptheria and many other diseases of our own species, so much more easily investigated, and which yet, after so vast an amount of patient and labourious investigation by men of the most acute intellect, remains a mystery." Seeing then, sir, that there is such a variety of opinion amongst the dons of the profession, a few remarks from one at the foot of the ladder only may be tolerated. The higher profession," I believe, look Upon inoculation with suspicion, some having given their opinion that analogous forms of disease, equally destructive, might be propagated thereby. Professor Simmonds and n.ost veterinarians agree that the only use of inoculation is that the swelling, suppuration, and discharge caused by the operation act as an ordinary issue. This being the case, instead of poisoning the system with an unknown virus, I think that if we can choose a medicine that, exhibited in any form, endemically or otherwise, will pass through the system and always affect particular organs far remote from the parts threatened by disease, and one, too, that is a general powerful vesicant, we may have the means in a great measnre of prevention, and possibiy sure, in the earlier stages when properly applied. Now we have such in cantharides—applied upon any part of the body they always affect the kidneys of animals subjected to their action, sometimes prodncing diuresis, &c. In pleuro pneumonia the kidneys are frequently greatly affected, the discharges being highly coloured, dco. In horse or cattle pneumonia few remedial agents are more efficacious than cantharidine blisters, and the more repeated the safer the lungs. In pleuro-pneumonia epizootica I grant blisters, setons, &c., Sc., have usually failed, because we waited for the disease to exhibit itself before having recourse to them, therefore, upon this disease breaking out upon a farm, I would advise the destruction of every unmistakeably - affected beast and the burying of the same, the remainder to be yarded, and, instead of inoculating, insert two setons, well saturated with cantharadine ointmont, in the dew-lap of every head of neat cattle upon the place. Duriug our former visitation of this disease L found nothing so effective as counter irritants ; but it was only towards the end of its visit the idea suggested itself of the above preventive measures. The action of a blister works off in a few hours, but that of a seton may be made continuous for any length of time with little trouble. To show the efficacy of countcr-irritants a member of the existing Auckland Cattleißoard can give some lively reminiscences of his experiments and of the action and effect of nitric acid in this disease. In conclusion, I would caution the too hasty judgment of condemning as pleuro every animal affected with catarrh. At the present time with horses, cattle, dogs, cats, poultry, down to the very wild rabbits, influenza is very virulent. This will pass off as the weather changes. Not so pleuropneumonia, however. No time can with any degree of certainty be named as the length of its visit, and therefore it is to be hoped the Cattle Board will not relax any existing regulations relative to importation.—l am, &c., Edward B. Kinloch, V.S. The Shieling, April 29.