FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23021, 26 April 1938, Page 8

FIFTY YEARS AGO

THE RABBIT MENACE „>> The hordes of rabbits which infested. Australia and New Zealand . had become such a serious problem to farmers in ISBB that a commission composed of representatives of both countries was set up in Australia in that year to iind suitable methods of dealing with the menace. The great French scientist Louis Pasteur was consulted and he suggested the spreading of chicken cholera among rabbit colonies. An act. count of his report is contained in the following extract from the N f;W Zealand Herai,d of April 26, 1888:"M. Pasteur's representatives have supplied full particulars of their senenie to the Commissioners. During M. Pasteur's investigations of chicken cholera 10 years ago. he accident:'!!? discovered that rabbits were especially susceptible to the malady. It was impossible to give direct proof that hitman beings were not liable to the disease; hut no case was_ known, even when diseased chicken had been eaten for food. "There was no danger of the disease being conveyed to cows in milk. !M'en when animals were fed .with the poisoned food, experiments showed that no mammals, except rabbits, were affected. The disease was generally more virulent to rabbits than to fowls. "The representatives of New Soutn Wales, New Zealand and Victoria " eie appointed a committee to conduct experiments."