Phillips. — On Babbit-disease. 319 



1st September, 1886. 

 Diseases for Rabbits. 



Memorandum Ijv Sir James Hectok for the Hon. Sir 

 Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. 



The suggestion of Mr. Stroever, to introduce the disease called 

 red measle in the pig with the view of its destroying rabbits, 

 would, as he himself admits, require very careful investigation 

 before its adoption. I think there nuist be soure mistake as 

 to the nature of the disease alluded to. The pig is affected 

 with two kinds of measles, one of which is a hydatid fluke 

 which is the larval condition of the common tapeworm in 

 man, and the other of the tapeworm of the dog. Both of 

 these produce the measles in the pig, but I do not think they 

 would be communicable to the rabbit. 



Most probably, by the "red measle" is meant a very for- 

 midable disease known as the " swine plague," which is due 

 to the presence of a minute organism known as Bacilli suis. 

 This disease caused a loss in 1877 in the United States of 

 £2,000,000. A Connnittee was appointed to investigate this 

 disease, and, from their report, it can be communicated to 

 several other animals, among which is the rabbit, and also the 

 sheep. This was effected by artificial inoculation, but it does 

 not appear that there is any evidence of its ever having 

 spread naturally to either of these animals in the United 

 States. 



I think it would be well to ask the Agent-General to 

 confer with some of the officers of the Canadian Government, 

 now in London, with the view of ascertaining what is known 

 as to the nature of a disease that periodically destroys the 

 rabbits in the Canadian backwoods. In 1857-58 the Sas- 

 katchew'an swarmed witli rabbits, and Indians depended there 

 on rabbits, largely, for their food in the winter-time ; but during 

 the winter of 1858-59 the rabbits almost entirely disappeared, 

 and I found the Thickwood Indians starving to death in con- 

 sequence. I was nearly starved myself with my party, travel- 

 ling on the snow between Jasper House and Fort Edmonton, 

 a distance of 230 miles. We had relied on finding rabbits plen- 

 tiful for the whole distance, but only got one, and were several 

 days without food. I was told by the hunters and officers of 

 the Hudson Bay Company that about every seven to ten 

 years the rabbits were attacked by a murrain that destroyed 

 them. There was nothing unusual in the severity of the sea- 

 son on this occasion to account for their destruction. 



My impression at the time was that the disease was a fluke 

 or hydatid that attacked the liver, but soon spread to the 

 2iauscles and other tissues of the rabbit. I have seen several 

 instances of such a disease among the rabbits in the Waira- 



