FIFTY YEARS AGO

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14069, 16 February 1939, Page 2

FIFTY YEARS AGO

A CURIOUS DISEASE. (From the “Pahiatua Star” ol February loth, 1889). Some mysterious disease has played havoc amongst the cattle and horses of certain well-defined portions’ of the Winton district. Southland, for the last 15 months. The Government lately requested Mr G. M. Thomson, science master of the Dunedin High School, to investigate the matter, and that gentleman has just submitted a detailed report to the Minister of Lands. He finds that at least L6OO worth • of stock has succumbed to the disease in question, which, however, it is almost certain is neither infectious nor contagious in its nature, while there is nothing special in the vegetation of the district to account for it. Judging from the general symptoms, and from the observations made in a post-mortem examination of one of the ’ affected beasts, Mr Thomson believes that the disease is due to internal parasites, chiefly in the lungs and stomach, probably arising from the food growing in the Oreti river, which water for several months in the var The ailment is confined to the ’animals that graze on the inundated lands, stall fed stock being almost entirely tree from it. Air Thomson recommends that he should be authorised to make further investigation, which would only cost a few pounds, and says that whether he is right in his supposition as to the cause of the disease or not, the wet nature oi the ground seems to have much to do wilh it, so that it would be desirable to carry out drainage works by way of remedy.