The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-27 00:00:00

THE GROUSE DISEASE.

Writing to the Pall Mall Gazette, on this subject,
Mr. Francis Francis says :—" The only chance of
getting at any sound knowledge on the matter is by
making every head keeper upon as many moors as
possible keep a careful diary, under forms of various
headings, as to state of heather, weather, water,
grouse, &c., and anything else that may affect them.
By comparing these returns when moors first became
diseased, we may get at some regular data framed
on a basis large enough to rely on. Ido not believe
that bad food or bad water originates the grouse
disease any more than I believe the same things origi-
nate cholera or typhus. Unfortunately we know so
little of epidemic causes that it is a subject on which
we can only theorise. In all probability the grouse
disease hangs about and lingers, like other diseases,
waiting for a favourable opportunity and suitable
weather, &c., to come forth and slay its thousands.
I doubt if it is ever quite extinct, and it is towards

these connecting cases and their discovery that
attention should be directed chiefly. We know
that if any dangerous epidemic prevails in any
country or district, over-crowding, bad food, bad
water, and a consequent weak state of health will
be found favourable to its development ; and that,
if places where these conditions exist are attacked,

they will probably suffer severely. Buc then we
know, on the other hand, that a great deal of over-
crowding goes on, and bad food is devoured, and
bad water consumed, and weak health endured for
considerable periods without cholera or typhus
being prevalent in such localities ; and I have not
the least doubt that frosts and thunderstorms fre-
quently destroy the young heather, and that there
is much over-crowding, much bad weather, and a
total absence of vermin without the prevalence of
grouse disease. The presence of worms in the dis-
eased birds certainly argues a derangement of the
system, and interference of some sort with the diges-
tion—at least I suppose so ; and in all probability
the grouse would have been eating unsuitable food
for some time before, and they must have been to
some extent ailing for some time; for tapeworms of
the size which have been frequently mentioned do
not grow in a day or a week. lam afraid that the
entire stock of grouse in the north has become, I
will not say exactly diseased, but tainted with or
subject to disease, and that the course most likely
to stave off the evil for a time would be to intro-
duce fresh stock. The disease has not, I be-
lieve, affected Ireland. The Irish grouse are
fine strong birds, much• larger than the Scotch
grouse, and if it were possible to introduce Irish
birds upon the moors that have been cleared,
I think it is extremely probable that the in-
troduction of fresh blood might have a most
beneficial effect. In keeping diaries, the important
point, as in all other matters of that nature, would
be to note closely where the first outbreak of the
disease occurs, and then it would be advisable, if
possible, to draw a cordon round that moor and
promptly to destroy all the grouse on it. This I fancy
would be the most merciful and least destructive
policy in the end. Keepers also should have the
strictest orders and the strongest inducements to
hunt out diseased birds and to kill and burn them at
all times. For, as I have said, I believe that in
nooks and corners some diseased grouse are always
to be found, and thus the disease is kept alive
and propagated. As to its ramifications, when it
bursts out in full fury who can say where they will
extend to or when they will Stop ? Healthy and un-
healthy moors will probably become affected alike ;
and it may be that it is in this way that the disease
has penetrated into deer forests and such places
where the vermin are untouched, and that formerly

stamped out the disease
it was hard to twhheenprietvallveanscleinogfervinegru;sion
that
pro-
pagate. I do not assert, I merely suggest this.. I see
it stated that man with his gun takes the place of
vermin, and therefore we can do without vermin ;
but this seems to me to be a very self-sufficient sort
of statement. The fact is, we may have moderate
a certain amount of
vermin
en
rdm
ieven o
actgood
ns
scavengers;
sportoav e gwh e with
we must give some-
thing to the vermin in recognition of the use which
they are. But we are not satisfied with moderate
or good sport ; we want slaughter. We must kill
our hundreds of brace per diem, and to do that we
must get rid of the vermin. This state of things is
unnatural, and some sort of penalty is sure to follow
it."