THE WINTON STOCK DISEASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1951, 11 April 1889, Page 6

THE WINTON STOCK DISEASE.

; :The nature of the malady.Jfrbiis whighsomany horses and cattle have succumbed in the Winton district has formed the, subject of ye^another report, Mr John F. M'Clean, M.R.0.V.5., havingbeen "from- Wellingtonjtetantly With 'a view: : to ~, .solving the mystery. Mr M'Clean's report, which has been courteously placed at our disposal by Sir Douglas, chief inspector for. Otago, appears below. It .will be seen from a perusal of the report that the writer disagrees with the conclusions of his predeoes* sois, and attributes the mortality to two causes— viz., congestion of 'the brain and its membranes and an enteric complaint of a typhoid nature. Whether these theories will be accepted as the true explanation' of the mortality or not repoains fcTlse seen, butjn the meantime no time* should be lost in endeavouring to improve such pastures as those described by Mr M'Clean. The following is the report :— , • „ _, > { y Stook Department, < , Wellington, March 27,,188«. Hon. Minister of Lands. ., . , . ■.' „ Sir ,— I have the honour to report tjhac, acting under your instructions, I have visited thia district with the object of, if possible, finding put the.cauqe of th» recent mortality amongst hones and cattle. there. In the first place, I must say J believe the nnmber of cases has been greatly exaggerated j r inpeed,»ny aniiral within a radius of fivo miles from Winton suffering from the " Winton disease." This, it it uu» i necessary to add, Is not the case, the original complaint being strictly confined to' Winton. After Science-master Thompson'^' elaborate report j on all circumstances connected with the enzooio ib ! is not necessary for me to again enter into tho .history,' &c, of Jihe subject, except to ' mention that many of the jjettlerß I met .say. they have been acquainted with the trouble for the lasj; four or five I might here point out to ybtT-thab the*error Mt Thompson has fallen into in coming, to his conclusion that V disease is of parasitic origin " ,oonii/rt» in Wb mistaking the common enstrid iiifUioria of ■herbivore for'" ciliated embryo ' y (?) and' attaching pathological importance tothpm. , Tbfo |i,Qf.ep.urse, excusable in ope whose profession Idqes, not, necessitate an intimate kndwledge of the phyddtogy of the various, domesticated animals. ■ )!;iiil '•' . With regard, to the" phosphorus poisoning, theory of Mr Hamilton* I am ' afraid'* this opinion nas been formed without due weight being attached to facts, as from the symptoms desoribeqj'bj' hjm to me, together with theract ttfafcphoajrtiorns his n"ot been law in tfiis actual distriot for a c- nslderable period. I am convinced this is not the cause of death. After collecting all the information .available. I .havenohesifcatlan'inlsayiugcthe came of the mortality has been twofold. , 1. As a result of congestion of the brain anq.iw membranes. ' This, is induced in either of two ways. These pastures, are made up almost wholly\of,y ' ragwort and •tussock grass?' hot h • nasty,* hard.'ahd indigestible foodstuffs. The continued feeding on these and like . substances may gradually cause j»sfceriuatton of the coats of the stomach, until, ac a result, it ir unable to perform its functions, and cerebral symptom* become developed by reflex action.. Or. the ragwort, like ryegra&a; may/be/at %a certain - period of ; its growth, capable of inducing a degree of narcotism, speedily succeeded by congestion of the brain and other changes, and owing to this derangeirfenb of the great nervous centres paralysis of the digestive apparatus is the result} and the stomach becomes sometimes ' engorged from Ithg'.facl of .the hi limn I continuing to feed'when the digestive as well as tha other functions are in abeyance. ' 2. The other cause of death, though I believe hi« i is very limited, is ah enteric complaint of a typhoid <jharacter, brought on no doubt by the unfavourable i conditions to which the animals are exposed as regards climate, food, and contaminated water. It might be urged that horses and cattle do not eat ragwor.' . Though they may ,|iot- do „80 with avidity, they nibble at it, and on thesa'-paiturei there is little else to eat. , •■ ' V ,, L ' $ These being the causes of the mortality, it remains in the hands of the settlers and farmers to overcome them by paying more attention to the welfare of their atock generally, and above all, bj.the improvement of their pastures by drainage and the laying down of gosd grasses ; or failing this then the avoidance of these paddocks at Reasons of the year as has been' shown by experience the death-rate Is this will finally dispose of the : " Winton cattle disease," I have the honour to be, Sir, . . Yours obedieutty,. John P. M'Okan, M.8.0.V.0.