PREVENTION OF PLEURO-PNEUMONIA. 171 



•which they knew but little, greatly to the detriment of the cause 

 of plague extermination. All that such writers have clone has been 

 to help the proof that pleuro-pneumonia still rages fearfully, and 

 with all the inoculation practised by 90 per cent, of cattle 

 proprietors, representing probably also 90 per cent, of the cattle 

 of their respective countries, we are told the proceeding 

 oxerts such a powerful preservative influence that it should 

 become compulsory. All we can say is, we must have more 

 than such statements furnished before we can see the results so 

 ■exultingly expressed. With such preservative influence, why, in 

 the name of common-sense, are we not at least almost clear from 

 the scourge ? If it is so, importation of cattle need not be con- 

 trolled ; no matter how many fresh animals are brought over, 

 they cannot infect ours ; if they are preserved by inoculation, — 

 they are preserved we take it. But facts prove the contrary. 

 As an importing nation, it may be argued, we stand in a very 

 awkward position, and the results are not so perfect as could be 

 wished. But still we are wanting proof. Australia is by no 

 means an importing nation, yet for 20 years she has practised 

 inoculation, and at this time suffers so acutely that she is 

 asked to make it compulsory. Surely if 90 per cent, of the 

 owners are not sufficient to convince the remaining 10, their 

 experiments and proofs are not of a very conclusive character. 



It remains now for us to notice the various conclusions that 

 have been arrived at by those who have tested the theory of 

 inoculation, and in doing so, it will be impossible to reproduce 

 the whole of the voluminous matter which has been published ; 

 we will, however, give the most useful particulars, referring the 

 reader to the original sources for further details. 



Dr Willems, although the first to publish his conclusions, 

 which have already been given in full, was not the first to 

 practice inoculation. M. Dosaive performed the operation in 

 1836, and following him we are informed,* were Dieterichs and 

 Vix, but their experiments yielded no satisfactory results. 

 Willems commenced inoculation in 1850, on cattle belonging to 

 his father, having been altogether unsuccessful in otherwise 

 treating the disease, and in September 1852 he called the 

 attention of the Belgian government to the subject, which had 

 the effect of rousing other countries to an examination of the 

 theory. After an impartial observation of Willems' method, 

 they returned the following summary of conclusions : — 



" That inoculation with liquid extracted from a hepatised 

 lung, the result of exudative pleuro-pneumonia, is not a certain 

 preservative against the malady. That the phenonema succeed- 

 ing inoculation may be produced several times in the some 

 ani)nal, which may, and may not, have been attacked with 



* Williams op cit. 



