The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-03-06
Cattle Plague-Australian Experience
in 1859.

ALTHOUGH the contagious pleuro-
pneumonia fright has subsidized since the
publication of exact reports on the sub
ject from the supposed centres of the
disease, it may still be worth while, as
a matter of curious information, to note
the various methods of stamping out
the plague. Disinfection, the destruc-
ton and immediate burial of infected
animals, and rigid quarantine, are the
principal agencies that have been relied
upon in this country since 1859, when
the plague was prevalent in New Eng
land. But there is still another method
which was found more efficacious than
either among the vast herds of Austria
liza during that memorable year, when
the lung-murrain slew cattle by the
thousand. Prof. j. B. Coleman, of the
New York College of Veterinary Sur
geons. who was a cattle inspector in
the colony at that date, said yesterday
that he had often seen large streams
completely blocked with the fostering
bodies of dead animals, and their shores
covered with q flotsam of carrion.
Herds, numbering thousands, were
swept away in a week. No quarantine
was possible where disease seemed to
break out in all points at once. Almost
as last resort, in the blank despair of
the colony, incubation was attempted.
The mode of procuring the pneumonia
vaccine was first to inocculate an ami
NAL with the fribrinous exudation of a
diseased lung then a second animal
with vaccine obtained from the local
suppuration of the first inoculated one;
finally q third. The vaccine generated
in the third incubation was found the
safest and best for the purpose. The
method of operating was very simple.
Little pellets of clean wool were first
saturated with the vaccine. A trifling
and very shallow incision was then
made in the skin at the end of the tail.
and the pellet caught between the lips
of the wound. When the vaccine had
been completely absorbed process
which occupied usually but few min
utes-the pellet fell out, and no irrita-
ting matter remained, saving such
pneumonia matter as had been absorb
ed. Subsequent experience showed
that this process not only saved
the animals from attack in the same
manner as vaccination saves from small
pox, but that it was the most effective
quarantine that could be presented.
Herds, consisting in some instances of
C,CUO u6du, wcTc iuOCCuldtco cn hdSSc,
with the result of preventing outbreak
entirely where it had not occurred, and
of limiting it to the animals actually
attacked at the date of the operation
where it had already commenced its
ravages. Prof. Coleman said yesterday
afternoon that he and his staff of as
sistants inoculated over 100. 900 animals
while the plague was raging. OF this
large number the loss by death was not
greater than from vaccination for small
pox. Some, but not all, that had the
disease in its primary stages when ope-
rated upon, died of pneumonia; but out
of the whole 100, 900 the loss was less
than per cent. 1t would not be pos
sible, said Prof. Coleman, to inoculate
successfully in such crowded and filthy
stables as those now under inspection
on Long Island; but he has no doubt
that, should the disease become epizo-
otic here, incubation would be found
the best preventive measure that could
be adopted.-N =. Times.