424 PROTECTIVE INOCULATION FOR BOVINE PLEURO-PNEUMONIA, 



head of cattle, that is nearly as much as the other Australian 

 colonies together, is estimated to have participated therein to the 

 extent of £5,000,000, and the annual losses entailed are calculated 

 to be about £500,000. 



In looking at the position which protective inoculation for thia 

 cattle disease occupies at present in those countries where the 

 latter is prevalent, and the rearing and preservation of stock a 

 matter of vital importance, we find that most of them are in favour of 

 this treatment being adopted. These are principally : Scotland, Bel- 

 gium, The Netherlands, Finance, South Africa, and last but not 

 least, the Colonies of Australasia. I may be permitted to quote 

 some figures. As the result of an official inquiry in 1875, into the 

 state of preventive inoculation for pleuro-pneumonia in New South 

 Wales, it turned out, that a strong majority of graziers pronounced 

 a favourable verdict. Of 282 cattle-owners who were in the habit 

 of inoculating, 234 were favourable, 19 opposed to the measvii-e, i.e., 

 in proportion 12 or 13 for, to 1 against it, while 1 1 entertained 

 doubts, and 7 stated nothing. Among 272 owners who did not 

 practise inoculation, 54 were for, 50 against, 13 being doubtful, 

 and 155 oflTeiing no opinion. 



These figures, supporting so decidedly as they do, inoculation, 

 claim our full consideration, so much the more as some of the 

 operators must undoubtedly have encountered greater difficulties 

 in carrying out the operation than there would have been, could 

 it have been performed by experienced veterinarians, or perhaps 

 under more favourable circumstances. Thus the prospect of 

 success must, after all, have been smaller in the former case than 

 in the latter. 



But still the method of inoculation has its opponents, who 

 rather incline to the adoption of other preventatives such as the 

 so-called "stamping-out system." In one point, however, there 

 seems to be a general agreement, namely, that a cure of the disease 



