The Delta independent., 1888-01-03
RABBIT PEST IN AUSTRALIA,
Pastcur's Proposition TO Inoculatc the
Animals with Chicke Cholera.

NJ. Pasteur has written TO the editor of
the Paris Temps the following letter:
Iour journal announced a few days ago
that the Government of New South Wales
was so helpless in its fight with peculiar
plague the multiplication OF rabhits-that
1t offered prize of 625, 600 francs for the
discovery of n method for eNtermina'tng
them. Considerable portions of New Iea-
land, not less ravaged than Australia have
been abandoned by thefarmers, who'gave up
sheep-raising owing TO the impossibility of
finding food for them. Every winter the
rabbits are slaughtered by the million, but
without any apparent effect on their num-
bers.
VIII you permit me to communicate to
these distant countries. through the medium
of the Temps, some ideas the application OF
which might perhaps be attended by some
success?
Up to the present, in combating this nui-
sance, use has been made of mineral sub.
stances, notably phosphorus compounds.
But was not this n wrong method' What
can such mineral poiSonS do towards de-
stroying animals which Increase and multi
ply nj a frightful rater Such poisons kill on
the spot where they are placed, but in truth
TO reach living creatures, do we not need
rather, Il may SO express myself. poison
endowed with life, like themselves, and
able, like themselves, to multiply at sur
prising rate?
What wish, therefore, is that an attempt
he made to carry death into the burrows of
New South Wales and New Zealand by try
ing to communicate to the rabbits a disease
which may become epidemic.
There is such a one which is known MS
chicken cholera cholera des poules,) and
which has been the subject of extended
study in my laboratory. The disease is also
common to rabbits. Now, among the eNper-
fences have gathered Is this: | collected
within n limited space certain number of
chickens, and, after i had given them some
food poisoned with the microbe, they died
on the spot.
Farmyards are sometimes ravaged by true
epidemlcs of this species, the propagation
OF which is doubtless due to the injecting
of the soil and food by the excrements OF
those which are first seized with the disease
| fancy that the same would happen in the
case of rabbits, and that, returning to their
burrows to die there, they would communi.
cate the disease to others, which IN turn
would spread II. But how could the destruc.
tive germs be conveyed into the bodies OF
make an enclosure including certain
space where the rabbits look for food. Ex-
per,ence has shown that II is easy to cuiti-
vRte in state OF perfect purity, and on Ms
large scale as Is desired, the microbes of
chicken cholera In some extract of meat.
With this liquid, fullof microbes, the food
Of the rabbit should bo watered, and they
would scatter to die In variOns places and
thus distribute tho poison everywhere.
win add that tho microbc OF the disease
In question Is harmless to farm unimsls, eN-
cept, of course, to chickens. but thess need
not DO allowed to be at large,
do not doubt thnt there are In the plague
stricken countries persons prepared to ap
ply the method suggested here-a method
which Is very simple, and which, In any
case, Is worthy OF y trial. PAsrEuR