A BURNING QUESTION-IS IT ANTHRAX?

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1217, 28 June 1895, Page 8

A BURNING QUESTION-IS IT ANTHRAX?

The following interesting and important article has been published by the Hatohe's Bay Herald :—The umst important of the requisitions forwarded to the Government by the Dawke'a Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society was undoubtedly that which expressed a desire for the appointment of a bacteriologist for the North Island. The South Island apparently does not require the services of a specialist of thii description, as luckily the pastures are ordinarily speaking clean. But in . Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Auckland, over very extensive grazing areas the sheep aiid cattle, at certain seasons especially, drop down deat), apparently without provocation, and certainly without a struggle. Many thousands a year are thus lost, to astonished pastoralists, who liiako investigations, and call in local experts who also make examinations and experiments, but all to no purpose. Last year, as we have mentioned in a previous article, a Wairoa station manager was called before a Parliamentary committee to explain certain experiments which ho had made, and to display certain exhibits which he had secured with great skill and under exceptionally favourable conditions, and his testimony, aided by horriolo looking specimens, shown with the aid of a powerful microscope, so shocked the committee that it was decided that the knowledge should remain locked up in the respective bosoms of the members of tho committee, and p.esumably there it has remained ever since. Asked what he considered was the cause of the mortality in Hocks, the witness whispered a very word, one that was used once or twice at Friday's meeting, but ho at the fame time somewhat reassured those present by asserting that though he firmly believed that anthrax, existed in the flocks in his district, on the strength of the symptoms shown and the results obtained, he was only theorising after all, and had no actual knowledge. Now, .vo quite agree with Captain Russell that it is essential to get at the root of tho evil at once, and the only way to reach the root in this instance is to employ a bacteriologist as suggested. Again, the disease may not be anthrax—we sincerely trust it is not—but it may bo something equally bad, or at the worst a serious disease for which a simple remedy will suffice. However it be, the question must not be played with. Anthrax is very prevalent in Australia, and as little check has been placed upon importations of sheep from that country in the past, the taint may have accompanied the shipments to these shores. Wo hope that it is not so, but hoping will do no good—the possibility is too serious for dalliance—and tho sooner we have tho answer yea or nay propounded by a com petent authority the better. Inoculation is the only remedy against anthrax, and if a bacteriologist ptonounced that disease to exist in this island, inoculation will have to be generally resorted to. If this is found necessary it is obvious that the sooner the matter is fearlessly and thoroughly dealt with the better will it be in the end. It was necessary to spend tens of thousands of pounds in tho extermination of scab, and many settlers had to suffer loss for the general weal. A similar exigency may occur again, and it will have to be sternly faced. All we require bt present ia to know the worst. We are confident that the veterinary knowledge of this colony cannot supply the information. Further, we know that, though the officials of tho Agricultural Department have been in possession of the facts of which we write for many months, they have not yet come to any definito conclusion or determined on any specific action in the matter. We do not wish to raise an alarm or prejudice our live export trade with tho sister colonies, but we do wish to sound a note of warning, and to goad the local Agricultural Society and the local settlers on to determined and concerted action, so that tho public mind may be set at rest, and the terrible mortality which is devastating our flocks, and causing such heavy losses to our pastoralists may be stayed. [The matter has been referred to tho Stock Committee. A further reference to the subject will to found in «* Editorial Notes" this week.—Ed. Mail.]