DISEASES IN STOCK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12391, 28 June 1902, Page 2

DISEASES IN STOCK.

r.U'KU BY MR GILRUTH. At the Agricultural Conference yesterday Mr .T. A. Gilruth, tho Government vcteriwry expert, read a lengthy paper dealinp, with dise.itos in slop!:. The following is tk firit port inn of Iho paper: — The freedom ol tho Xow Zealand domesticated animals' from tho occurrence nl disease, particularly conlujrhm maladies, is t]:o subject of frequent uilf-congratti'.ntion by iU inhabitants. That this boast i« we!! founded in the main no one nan deny, foi while there is no sicklied wliich, so far ar 1 am aware, is peculiar to tho colony alone, we are totally free from such scourges as rhideipesl, which in repent years h> ravished the l.winn herds of South Africa, and :' always oiidcmic in certain parts of Russi" and India: glandore, which is a constant .-onrco. of worry and .lots h> horse owner! (if the large cities «( Kmope., Awcvifa India, and the East: foot and mnutli dis ca-e, which ha' so recently troubled the AvMnliro , . ami is always present in err tain |iiivU of Europe, to Iho cost of llu rattle and fheopownr.r*; Texan or tic!, fever, that cattle tconrpe .'which has miner ro many sloekmvners in Queensland, and is prevalent in parts of North and Hotit! America, Smith Africa, and elsewhere j am 1 oilier?, whicli arc ccjuully to lie dreaded, <:o--enrriiiß in different parts of ' the world, Wilhout doubt Ihc colony ran justly con pratulato it«el( <>\i the ulwuieo of tliesi dreadful scom-roh to the atockowneis. lm: Iliat it is entirely free from contagious aui mal dii'ea'cs, or even thai it does not run tain tho possibility of serious losses tlirousjl=neli inliuoiicra, 1 am not prepared to admit. And it. is for the purpose of bringing hnmi to your minds the exact position rei;,m!in{ what may be termed Ihe "' public health' of the domesticated Animals of Ihe rolonj tlial I propose to trive yon a summary n ihe mort important contaijioiis diseases (am by contusions disease is meant, one duo t< a specific microbe capable of being tram fened by some means from animal to nni mall whicli at present exist in Iho colony and shall, draw your attention to tin methods which ore being employed, mid tc Ihosc which I am of opinion should be em ployed in dealing; Willi each. Tuberculosis.— I'his i* undoubtedly th< liio-t important disease, with which wo liavi to deal, alike from the standpoint of tin slookowner and from tho mrnt and mill; consuming public. Ho much has been writ ten regarding symptoms and general ap prariuices that I shiil! not detain you by an; description. Neither shall I enter into llu vexed question raisnd by I)r Koch, the dis eovcrrr of the tuberculosis genu, as to tin identity of human and bovine luberculosi or consumption, further than to express in; opinion thnt the evidennn which wo liavi does not warrant auyone in stating that thi diseases are due to different microbes, bu rather that, as the bovine microbe is tin more virulent for all animals, the probabili ti.'s am tiiat il ie nki the morn virulent o ihe human bring. Loavinc; aside, howover the question of thr public health, with tin miiv l;nowle;I(fii at least that none of us an particularly desirous of partaking of tuber ciilnus meat or of giving tuberculous mill lo our children, the effect of- the, di-op on (he pockets of the fanners is the questioi 1 propose, to consider now. In the fire place, lot us icok at the extent of Ihe dis ease. With tho exemption of (wo smoll dis tricls—Xelrton and Maryborough—tho wholi colony may be taken to lie alike affected •liidgini; by the results of the application o the tuberculin test, which I can assure yoi may lx> taken to be practically infallible provided it 'is properly applied, there an about 10 per cent, of tho cows supplyim m',ll; move or less affected with this disease while of animals, such as bullocks sum lieifers of from three, or five yeans of age tlio ,T,erags is about 5 per cent., as asner lulled liy the vctovinary inspectors thvough out tho colony. Now, in a young colon; whom fattening at least under bad hygieni conditions is unknown and where Rcnerall; cows nre milkixl in an open «hcd, one can not view Eiieli fiirurcn without Fome ?itll Jrcpidatioii. I freoly admit that the eaa is not nearly so bad, from the point of vicv of the farmer, as tlieie figures indicate a first Wnsli. _ Tn the vast majority of case the disease, is in a. very eavly stage, and maw of thn animals might live for years witliou nny evidence being furnished that they i: Iho slightest degree diverged from the nor null. But tho fact that hundreds am hundreds of animal?, chiefly elderly cov.s, nr killed every year by order of ihe in.-pec ton as being visibly alfce'ed with llu disease, and in such a mnnnoi' as. to bo liable lo spread it, is a. proof that the firmer can not eonsider the. affection one of no moment Besides the direct Joss of Ihc animal, thor, is the danger to Ihc. otlitra, the loss o feed, and the fact, that after the first of iho diffuse an nfl'e.eti'd bullock take lonp-er to fatten, and :i cow gives loss mill Ikii when in a state, of hraltb. As to tin inclhod.i of combating this disra?c: Tli slamping-ouf prGoosn which has been urgci by some, U not feasible, and there i.? in method whte'.i T am aware of at all like!; h> stami) out (he (li'caje completely durin; Ihe present ccnliuy. Although hopolcss a lo iu wmplcle eradication, I am posiliv 11-.i'l with tho proper measures the disoa.i :'an_ W krpt from asiiming the ]iroportion tt'hicli it has done in older countries:—ran, ii fiiet, be kept well in cheek, and even in tim its prrve.lcne." markedly dimiiiiiihed. In m , rcpwl of 1898 I made tho following reenni niondations:—l. There f'louid be n'periodi of nil cows Mipplyiug milk fo 'umiaii cfJiisumnliun. ?,. Tlie'tiiboreulin te , -: OjohU l . only be applied where isolation o Ihe reacting animals is pcrsible, or whop it is necessary lo insist in didgnotos c loubtfnl case?. 3. Oom'pMlsui'y niitifieatioi to the district flock inspector of any difear. if the udfjer in milk cniv. 4. Piisteurifntioi ■_>f milk in factcTics. 5. Inspection of meal 3ir.cn Ihe isruo of thil report much thai recommended has been done, yet natural! nitcli remains to bo done. The'groat dnnge if spread lies in the dairy herds, for pracli ;.i.lly alone in tho dairy cow lie-j the (empta f ion lo keep an old, coughing, rotten 'ha; if bone.-, alive- Fimply because sl'.e gives i rasll quantity of milk. Now that the Stati lays half value in comivcnsation for diseasci inimai". which it destroys, much of the. ex ■use for an owner i\ot regarding and re ■wring rases of disease h removed. Yoa >y ywr, liowpver, (ho number of dairy far wers increases, and many know little or no lung about stflek lo commence with. Henc. hey are readily imposed on by unscmpiilon '.ealers, who palm oft on Iho uiipuspccfiiv icw chuin a worthies.", diseased animal, pro ably arsuring him that file "will soon ro over from her cough and that the summe; trass will soon fill up die ftll-too-poton lollows." Long before tho overworked in lector comes round, which may not be fo i year or two, the seeds of long-standinj lipase, havo been well Bpread throughou' he herd. 'What is wanted, then, beside now complete and periodic inspection, i ■o-oporalioii of the farmers themselves, am lotiliralion to Ihe, nearest inspector of am •ase of di--ease immediately when observed iVitli eomponsatioii, I sulimil, there is m ■cason why ruch co-operation should not b he rule, tho more especially when it i onsidercd the result is proliably more brne sci/il, at least financially, to tho imlividna innself thaji to the community. Contagious Abortion.—Here again woliavi noiher menace to the success of tho dairy n? industry, but rather one the solntioi if wliißh lies with thn farmer himself am .ol with any penal enactments. Some year 'Bo J arrived at the conclusion that' tlii: iWeese hail by some means been introduce! o th? colony, and dealt with the subiec n my report, making at ihe fame tim. or tain queries, to wliich I regret to say ' lover received a single annver. In conse luence I jjfuieltKled that it could bo of littli noment to those interested. However Inrini; tho past summer, Mr .lames Brand ite (iorcrnmc&t veterinarian in the Waira apa district, came across u number of case

)'. cows persistently returning to the hill ivory fix to seven weeks, which, although lot true abortion, was evidently closely associated therewith, »nd km apparently duo o a contagion. In individual such in occurrence, is the experience of s>ll fornors, but whon JO to 80 per rent., and even n sonic owes all the cows in a herd keep ■•onsistptitly returning to the bull, oven rhen that animal is repeatedly changed, the lrospeeK of tlic next reason's milking re:iirns is not a pleasing one. A certain lino if treatment was tried on reme of tlic ivnrsk herds with lxinpfiri-.il results, and, iis ! eoiwque.iico, I issued a leaflet dealing sliicfly with (ho treatment, and attached ii number of quoriai thereto, which I re■.iwslctl rfinnld lie filled in as carefully as |)03fil)lc. These leaflets were distributed In ?ach factory in Hid.colony, with the request Ihat the manager slimiltl give one. to each supplier. Although naturally (ho groat innjority of these queries were never answered—l trust because the recipients had ir.d no experience of the trouble dcscribMlyet I am pleased to uy I liave received many forms carefully filled in, and eoniaininp; much information which may prove Df value in a?certaining 'the prevalence of tlio disease. As it was impossible for me lo thank all those who so considerately liclped me, T now take this opportunity of [loing so. These replies indicate, strongly lliat, while certain diptricls are apparently ibsolutely free from this troublesome complaint, there are. others where it is very prevalent, indeed, . T am paused to be able inform you that tlm method of treatment recommended hss.-so far. as 1 liavo been able to ascertain, where carried out carefully, been attended with the mitt satisfni-iory nvult", and many dairy farmers have- been able !o pet their eo-.v.i in calf iviirn formerly they bad almo-'t defpnired of Ihc next frason's output. Anthrax>-Tlr.s disease, deadly alike to man and miiinals. it is to be regretted, ha" isain and again been inlroducfd into virion' p:.rt» of tlic North Island, but I am plowed lo say thai, mi far a.i we are aware, it Imf hera confined lo Ihe places whom it oriirinally appeared, and that exeqit in one instance, where my instruction* were not adhered In, there lm fo far been no rrrurier.ee. During tin- last (:w years there have boon riiilirraV-s resultitij; in dip death dl 34 cows, 1 calf. 61 pigs, 4 cats, 5 dogs, and one inr.i). beside.? which four men were affected, but recovered. In cattli , , death is nlmovi annulling; in its suddenness. A cow may apparently be in ncrfecl health al nnr lime, ami two hours later be found lying dead, in an a!no=t normal attitude, with a Miplil Irickle of blond from I lie nostrils and anus. I'igs and liors?s usually show a large swelling in Ihn throat and breast before death: while in man, usually innceulatcd by a reratch nn the skin, a hot Mack intens? swelling occurs at the taint of inoeulation, vhic'i. if not treated early, will result in a piinful death. In this inslarcs it is needless to enter into details of the disease. But I want to draw your attention to the means of its introduction, On taking up my present dutiw in 1C93, my first in nniry was regarding the disc.aws exiting in the colony. Needless to say, (he informn lion obtained was very mensro and unsafefr.eion\ Yet T was nble. to readily form tlic coiiflw'on that no disease at all similar If. anthrax bad made ih appearance prior tc that year, at. lea?: so far as ealtln werf concerned. T a'.o?rtnined, however, thai large and increasing; quantities' of hone manure in various forms were being annually imported, and knowing Hint nearly even country under the sun was afflicted with tlii; malady, and inc.ro particularly Aiirfrnlia ami India, which I understood were, the Fourec: of tho bone supply of thi« colony. I rceonv mondd that the importation should he pro hibitfid hi nrder to prevent the introduction of anthrax. In view of the necessity wbicl 1 existed for the introduction of bone manure and the fnet Hint no harm lull resultct this prohibition wr? fhoVht lor draFtic. Various fchemes were, considered 1 believe, but nothing dnnn (ill aflev tin first outbreak in inn Waikaln in I"ESS, wlic:; ciitht cattle, 20 pi X s, am! tlirce men «w afTcetcd. Thrn a regulation W as Ra/nttei' prohibiting the introduction of bones mile?; accompanied by a certificate that they hai been subjected to a !c.mi;e.t'ature under pro", sure siiflicicnt to kill tlm highly refislral spores of the anthrax bacillus.' This was ap parently of some effect for a year or two but that it \vn= of little absolute value vn' proved conclusively by the outbreak-, whirl have occurred during the. last three or foui years. To enter into the details of Hip« outbrcal.-s. intcrestinp; as ti'ey are. wouli occupy too much time, and thcv-e who ari dwirous of knowinp; the particulars can fun them in the annual report.' of the depart incut. Thr> jioint of importance is that ot inqitirin; carefully into tho origin of tin r.nllrreaks in each ease, thn conclusion wai irrcFislibln llint, the had bemt in tredneed by the medium of imported bone; or bone. ine.nure« which hud not in everj case (in spite of the "solomn declaration " liccn Irrated as required by law. Indeed tho moans of evasion of tho law are so cas] and the difficulties of sheeting home tin proof of evasion so crcat that, conviction i ftl.inost impossible. The exnenn? of llm treat ment, too, is jo great thnt to havo an , faith in Ilie cflicacy of such i regulation requires more belief ii human nature thin I possess. As i matter of fact. I am awnre of nui individual who actually nifjncd Ihc dcclara lion in Australia thai the Ixmee had bee: thrmiffh Hie digester. Hiourli there was no such n npchine within 100 , milei of hi place. And Imw let, explain that it i not die Jiones of islmißlitcrcd nnimah w( Med be afraid of, but those which navi been picked up bv hawkers and others fron the roadsides nnd paddocks in the country which at the. present price of lmnee in Au< J-ralia arc worth porting some distance.. Am it is the?e bleached and apparently innoceii bones which nro clansoroiis. Many of (hem bavinrr been the nl;eletons of anininh dew of anthr.n, still contain the. virulent spore; of tho deadly anthrax Iweillu?. The ques tio'.i. then, is, bow are further outbreaks r be prevented'/ Admitting the necessity the importation of bone manure, of wiiiiO there win be. no doubt, I can only rccom mend t.lint which, after llm most earner considoraliini, T have already recommonda in my reports to the Government—viz., tha ad lionet or l)ono mnnnrca be pissed throucl digester* liclonprinfr to the State and creetei. at the jjorla of entry close to tho wliarro .Such a. ))lan i?, I am sure, opposed by tin importers, whom it might affect to eoiw extent; but to the farmer the rcEult woult l>3 most beneficial At tho present time tin latter has to nay for tho treatment, whic' wo have seen is not always done. Ho wonh l» free from the possibility of an outbreal of anthrax or other disease introduced bj like means. There would lie no extra coa: lo the ciimtry, as a charge could bo mad' to cover outlsy. inlercot, :md expense: Lastly, Hi" mouelaiy cosl of the treatment at present sent out of the colony, wouli venmin hove. I regret thin method, whic! I rfflomincudcd two years ago, has not ye 1 been adopted, but I rust, in (ho interest' o the colony, cither thii or some other oik equally cillcaciouj will be enforced; for as it lim i:cnn porsihlc to have 11 outbreaks so it may be iiosrible to have a> liundrci tiniei as many, when the necessity for pre vontion would bo at an end, as the disea« would by then be permanently cstnblislici here. '•li'ackleg": " Qunrtrr-nll."—This (U;ca« rmo pmctically confined to calves end yearlings, and the cause of loss to the farme: of certain of tlio United States of Amnric? of over £100,000 per annum, has also been found to occur in a certain district in the North Island. Although suspicions for some years that nn occasional caso occurred annually, it was only recently that 1 under, stood from Mr Douglas, lii'.o Government veterinarian on the West Coast, that Ihc contagion wns more widely spread than we had imagined. I requested him to make* a careful investigation as to the extent. Unfortunately, the purchase of hones for the Kixhth, Ninth, and Tenth Contingents, am! other important work, interfered wilh tlif prosecution of bis inquiry, and his final and regretted resignation did" away with the inv mediate, prospect. However, \m sneccssoi iij that work. Mr Kdpar, hai been able tc nfbko somo inquiries, although no cases have yet come under bis observation, and tlu information he. lia3 elicited is extremely ira jiiii'tant. As to tho ndvent of this diseaec, there is absolutely, so far as 1 have gathered, no information available. The disease germ, one with high powers of resistance, !«i apparently its normal habitat in roils of a more, or loss damp nature. The eharacloris. tic symptoms are swelling, generally local, ised, of the muscles of one fore or hindquarter, or the loin; hence tho name "Quarter-all. There is generally formation ot a certain amount of gas in the affected region, which causes a. crackling sound to be omitted on pressure. Lamenew is very marked. The animal is very nick, and death rapidly ensues, there being little bone ol recovery. There appears no doubt tliat of late years the diseasn has spread very considerably in tho affroted district, and this is in every probability attributable to the deplorable, colonial habit of leaving l';c. affected caicasea to be dealt,with by dogs and hawkf. Hunce, from the point of view of prevention, tho chief course to pnrsuo ia destruction -by fire of carcasos and the thorough sterilisation !iy tlio same, means of the ground where thn body is found. To prevent the spread to uninfected farms, or portions of llm sumo faun, this is absolutely 'necessary. There are two methods whereby it is believed ft certain amount of immunity may be derived by calves on affected property. Ono is very oid-fashioned, and has no basis of scientific value, being purely empirical. I refer to tho scloning of the devhb. In certain districts this is

still widely practiced, but experiments have I failed to prqvo Ihiit it gives any immunity. Tho other method is insulation with a sciontiilqally • prppaftrtl vaccine, extensively utilised both on the Continent and in the United States of America, where it is 'calculated tc lave rcetiltei] in a saving of thousands of pounds per annum, to tin- farmer. I propose, now that '«'o , havo some knowledge of tho extent of tlio disoaie, to utilise lip's method lictc—Hut is, provided, as I trust trill in the near future be tho ease, I am funnelled with suitable premises for tJic preparation and noe'essnry testing of the vaccine. [Tho second portion nf the paper will bo published on M(inday.] Tho Chairman said he was sure ho was voicing the, feeling of the confprennrs in expressing the pleasure with which tliey had listened to Mr (lilrutli's paper. He would I move that tho conference accord him a hearty vote of tlsaivk*.—(Applause.) On tho siiKgpstion of Mr Buchanan, it wan decided to have the paper printed and distributed. Tho Chairman, in relating an exparimit'o ho had about saven year; ago in New South Wales, said he was travailing in the Cumberland district, and on one station ho saw tho remains of 2500 shoe)), which had flic) in fix wc?k% nut of a flock of 5000, from an outbreak of anthrax. One of I'aetcur's men wont to tho colony, and after experimenting produced a vaccine, which, by inoculating lamb 3 when they wern young and again when they werft a year old, rnado lliein absolutely proof against tho disease. Tho cost was about 24 per sheep for each innculatimij n> that for 4d the owner could have his sheep nindn proof agsiiwt anthrax. Mγ HciuWiiOH asked Mr Gilruth why tlioro was mortality amongst lamb* fed on nip' , . Me had known 20 per cent, to dio, and many farmers had slopped proving rapn on that account. He would idso like In know what caused paralysis and dealli among ewes a month IWom lambing. Mr Tiuehannn said it was <iuilfi true that ill Iho North Island "grown lung" had caused the rejection of a great many .'.heflp cMicrwiHD prime fur freezing. Mr Gilruth had not niacin it mn'to clear whether this "grown Hui!;" whs the result of disease that had been cured, or ■ whether iiv most rases of rejection Ilio disease woe slill in progress He had always understood that iho disease lad run it.< course, and tho result was .simply the adhesion of (he lunge to tie; other tissues. Tu his reading about thesp (liwMo3 he alv.-ayn understood that Pasteur had laid it down that burying was not lit all effective i;i disposing of enreases. Expcrirnents bad shown Hint in civ.n where liurying had been done lGft below the surface worms carried Hi? microbe* to the snrfaoi', and stock became affectnd. Mr Stndbolmc said that in bis district last year they had lost a number of lamia, and they found that the ones tint died wore usually the best, and they died from apparently no mus? whatever—just about the time they were taking to solid fond. Mr Fattul'.o said ho would like to a.«k if the cost of sterilising bones would raise the price to any ftreat extenl. Mr Stiii'kcy. Paid ho wanted to mow a resolution ou the subject. Fiom what Mr Ciilruth had suid, there "w.\> uo fear of anthrax oxcopt from iinporting bones. Ho hud apparently made recommendations on the subject to the Government, awt they, n< a conference s-hculd endeavour to support him. Ho would move—"That this'conference brins under the notice of the Government tha advisability of having nil imported ')nuc3 i>lr-rili;'fid at the port of entry. , ' Mr Dick said ho had some connection wii.U tho question of sterilising hones, and ho could ray that duriiiß the past five or six years the bone trade luv.l undergone something «kin to a revolution. About five years ago tlio nntirn stork was got from Australia, but since, then there had been an increase in the use of artificial 'manure in.Victoria alono of nix times the amount then used. I'or Eomo years past this colony had drawn its supply from India, and it wsn brought over as lionrdust, and it was a very diilicult matter to delect whether il hail ken fiteriliffid or not. The question of s'.criliuinii on arrival pwcntrel onn difficulty—that of expense. , Shed ncrommodaiion, digesting phiii.t. hoi!er jiower, manure driers, and storage spaco would bo rcquirccl: and to carry out Mr Gilruth's idea would mean more cxproso to tho farmer. He agreed with Mr Gilnith that the expense, was comparatively c email matter, in view of the danger of importing unstcrilised bones. Ho was (juite willing to do anything ho could to help in the ninlter.—(Applause.) He would second Mr. Stuekoy's motion. Mr ,T. (!. Wilson thought the Agricultural Association might, bob) ish Gilruth a great deal, especially in the way of corri!lipondcricc. The α-socintion might easily set lip a Corresponding Committee to communicate _ with him and assist him in his iiwcsligationß. Mr Murphy asked if Mr Gilruth would explain the difference in the diseases that came under tho name of anthrax, swine fover, Cumberland disease., blackwatcr, and fowl disease. As to the adoption of drastic measures, ho wou'.d like to instance the outhrcalt of pleuropneumonia on Kaiapoi Island, where, through tho energy of Mr John Grigjr, it was stamped out completely. Mr Gilruth, in reply, said that in regard to the elangw of anthrax from l.onedust, thorn might bo somo danger to the men working amongst it, but there was little danger to tho farmers. He would have a separate- wharf at whioh it could he landed, with digesters for tho process of sterilising. Ono infected caraiFe in a shipment of bouea was sufficient, to contaminate the lot. Ou the question of co3t, he thought tho matter might be, met by briifging them in bulk in Failing ships unstcrilissd, and they coukl be crushed and sterilised hero. As to the mortality among lambs fed on rape, ho would !iko tho conference to , suggest how ho was going to distribute information. He had distributed loafiota en tliis subject, and read all about it in "The. Farmer," and yet they found people did not know anything almut it. Ho thought ho had driven it into everyone. Rape, wns a highly nitrogoneous food, and sheop fod on it to e.xcsss could not. digest it. The only tiling to do was to give a champ of fend. If rape was sown, it jbould bo sown with a big misturo of other pras-.,\». Old sheep would go tho fame way, although lamb were more easily affected, Sheep were, very particular about their food. If they were given too much clover or cocksfoot they would go iho samo way. Tim paralyses ami death of ewes a month nofoi\V lambing \va r , also a simple matter. Over-feeding was the cause. They wanted exercise, and ho would recommend that they should b'c walked, not rushed, for about a quarter of a milo to a paddock, left there on young grasp for an hour, and tlion driven back. Mr Uilrulh then explained briefly the. difference lwtwecn the respective microbes rau?in<r anthrax and tho other diseases referred to by Mr/Murphy, saying they were, all entirely different. Ho agreed that in soino instances drastic measures were required. The cause of death in lambs reforwl to by Mr Studholme was due to Iheir lieing in too good condition. They became plethoric, and often, through a change in tho weather, contracted acute con(rcstion of the kidneys, l'cojilc often said ihoy found "wool balls," and attributed tlw mortality to that. No\y, "wool halls," to cause death, would require to produce blackness or gangrene of the stomach, but " wool lial.'s," in his experience, never caused anything of the sort. lVniile found them, mid atlrilmtcd death to them just as they did in the e\7sc of "liots" in horses. That wns a very easy way of coniiecling cause and offcet, hut it was hardly sufficient to prove the actual canst! uf the mortality. If the societies could suggest tiny way of disseminating information, hv would be glad to, hear it. Mr Wilson's suggestion thai tho association could help the department was n very practical one. Mr Buchanan suggested that the department's leaflets should be issued in book form, Mr Gilnitb sr.id his own opinion was that if people paid for them they would valueIhem a good deal more. Ho would like to write a bsok on sheep diseases, because ho could get £ICO for doing po to-morrow, lint he had no tirao. to do it. ITe, would be I:appy to send leaflet:! to tho different socie- j ties if Ihcy would take the trouble to distribute them. On llie qucsUnu of Imrial, (hero was a differonce of opinion in regard I lo Pasteur's experiment, and the action of '

earthworm?. The disease of anthrax could wily spread by tho dqvelonment of spores, atsd theso rc(|uircd iiir, The genro wera not dangerous until tho spores wero formed, and if the carcase was buried without tlio skin having been removed there was not so much donger of tho spare 3 developing. Of course, nothing was so satisfactory as burning, but burial was better than leaving ll\c diseased carcase to lio toni to pieces and spread about the place. Mr Dic-k pointed out, in regard to tho importation of bonotiust, that tlia cost of importing hciics in bulk in sailing sliipe would bo prohibitive. • -