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Tlic Country Gentleman' s Magazine 



that the remaining cow up to the present time had not 

 been affected. lie also pointed out that, besides the 

 affection of the gums and tongue, the bull and three 

 of the cows became somewhat lame, dribbled from 

 tbe mouth, and discharged matter from the nostrils, 

 and that tlie cows ieemed to suffer moie than the 

 bull. He further informed me that the attack seemed 

 to last about ten days, and that during that period 

 the milk of the cows was reduced about one-halt or 

 more ; that they had now recovered their milk, which 

 4iad been used by his family during the whole period 

 of their illness without any ill effects whatever. 

 During the period at which the disease was most 

 active, Mr Cobbledick stated that the animals ceased 

 to graze, lay down constantly, and discontinued 

 chewing tlie cud. At this stage they were watered 

 with the bucket and fed by hand, with a little 

 hay and some roots. He was of opinion that 

 had they not been so fed one or two might 

 have died, but that the others did not seem to 

 be in danger. It is also worthy of notice that 

 none of the cows affected slipped their calves. I was 

 further informed that one of the convalescent animals 

 had been put into a paddock with sound cattle some 

 ten days back, from which course no evil consequences 

 seemed to have resulted up to that time ; while, as I 

 have already pointed out, one of the cows in the same 

 enclosure as the bull seemed to have escaped infection. 

 From these facts, as far as one may theorize on such 

 limited premises, it would seem that the foot-and- 

 mouth disease is far less virulent in Victoria than in 

 England, as might, I think, have been prognosticated. 

 In addition to the symptoms above enumerated, I 

 must not forget to add that in some cases the jaws of 

 the animals were swollen, and a tremulous motion of 

 the lips was noted during the period when the attack 

 was at its height. The remedies used by Mr Cobble- 

 dick while his cattle were ailing, were, as he informed 

 me, a little sulphur rubbed on their gums, and an ap- 

 plication of kerosene once or twice to the feet o^ 

 which they were lame. The sulphur he still applies 

 daily. Besides his cattle, Mr Cobbledick further 

 pointed out to me that three out of twenty-five 

 pigs which fed with the diseased cattle be- 

 came lame and their feet raw, a circum- 

 stance which Mr Vincent attributed to infection. 

 They recovered the use of their feet on having kero- 

 sene applied once or twice to them. The bull seems 

 to have been one of six bulls and three cows imported 

 per ship Northumberland, on the 29th of February 



last, by Messrs W. M'Culloch & Co. These 

 cattle were examined in the first instance, on their 

 arrival, by a Mr Rowell, a veterinary surgeon, I 

 believe, of considerable experience respecting foot-and- 

 mouth disease in England, who, I hear, certified to 

 their being free from apparent disease. The cattle 

 were afterwards inspected by Mr J. H. Kerr, and 

 allowed to land, no symptoms of ill-health being 

 visible. From the Northumberland the six bulls and 

 thi-ee cows appear to have been removed to a livery- 

 stable in town, where they remained in loose boxes 

 for some time. They were shortly afterwards removed 

 to the country. 



We have no definite evidence of the state 

 of the cattle imported by the Northumberland 

 during the voyage. 



The only other ascertained instance of the 

 disease having shewn itself is in a small herd 

 of six cows to which an infected bull from 

 Mr Cobbledick's farm was admitted. These 

 animals exhibited the same symptoms as the 

 others, and all recovered. They were in a 

 paddock about nine miles from the farm when 

 first infected, and separated from neighbour- 

 ing cattle by a wire fence only. At the first 

 opportunity Parliament passed an Act through 

 all its stages in one day, extending the law 

 relating to pleuro-pneumonia to the new 

 malady. A commission of inquiry has also 

 been appointed, which is meeting daily. The 

 preventive measures are, — destruction of in- 

 fected animals and their remains, penalties on 

 concealing infection, and quarantine for in- 

 fected districts. Nothing is yet provided as 

 to compensation. No doubt has been ex- 

 pressed as to the character of the disease, but 

 much doubt as to the means by which it was 

 communicated, if not originating in the colony 

 as some suggest. The succulence and abund- 

 ance of the feed in this winter season is con- 

 sidered a material condition to the mild ex- 

 hibition of its symptoms, which would be 

 aggravated in summer. 



