TUBERCULOSIS IS THE RABBIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1672, 8 December 1883, Page 14

TUBERCULOSIS IS THE RABBIT.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — My attention was at first directed to the above disease about this time last year, and I certainly would have made, it public at the time, had I not been convinced, after a very careful investigation, that it would be quite impossible for -the disease to become general. I therefore refrained from causing any false hopes to arise in the minds of people who happen to be immediately interested in the destruction of bunny. Now, however, as the question has been mooted! n the columns of the Witness, I deem it exped-jnt to give to your readers the benefit of my experience re tuberculosis in the rabbit, which disease is simply caused in this way : take a doe, for instance, which has been partially poisoned with phosphorised grain, and on examination the liver will be found to be enlarged to about twice its normal size, and although she may show no evident sign of being affected with tuberculosis, yet all her offspring, without exception, will develop the disease in the most pronounced form, from which they can nevp.r recover. Now let us take a buck (and a buck is the best medium for spreading tho disease) which has also been partly poisoned, and his offspring will become 'affected in like manner, and I believe that they convey the disease to their dams, even though the latter were previously quite healthy. But it must be borne in mind that the offspring dies early, some indeed when they are only a few weeks old, and most of them succumb before they reach the age of puberty. 'Should a few outlive that that time they are quite impotent, and therefore lack the opportunity of transmiting the disease in any effective or general manner. There is no mistake but_ that the tuberculosis recently discovered is one of the secondary consequences of phosphorised grain. There is also no question but that the disease causes the deaths of countless numbers at a given season, but I write this expressly to let people know that G-itd has not yet, at any rate, taken the matter in His own hands, and that we must not relax our present efforts simply because we may happen to come aci oss a few dead rabbits with tuberculosis on the liver.— l aT0 ' &C -' ' WM.J.WABD. Mandeville, December 3.