t06 proceedings of section k. 



Stock Departments. 



In consequence of the outbreak of scab in sheep, which, for 

 a time, seriously threatened the wool industry, Scab Acts were 

 passed by the different colonial Governments, and staffs of lay in- 

 spectors appointed, and credit must be given to them for the 

 efficient way they carried out their duties under local authorities, 

 and succeeded in spite of great difficulties in stamping out the 

 disease. Later, when other epizootic diseases, such as pleuro- 

 pneumonia, anthrax, &c., began to appear, " Diseases in Stock 

 Acts " were passed, and the scab inspectors became stock inspec- 

 tors. They were, however, far too few in number and wanting in 

 scientific training to cope with the spread of disease. As might 

 have been expected, there was no systematic or continued effort 

 to suppress or eradicate disease. The areas which they were ex- 

 pected to supervise were far too large, even if they had possessed 

 the necessary scientific knowledge. Not only were heavy losses 

 continually taking place from, to them, unmanageable diseases, but 

 there was a total absence of supervision over meat and dairy 

 produce. 



Twenty-five per cent, of the cattle slaughtered for food at some 

 of the suburban abattoirs were affected with tuberculosis, while 

 hydatids, fluke, cancer, and other diseases were quite common ; 

 and yet there was no inspection or any adequate restriction on 

 diseased meat going into consumption. There was no veterinary 

 inspection of dairy herds and milk; butter and cheese, the produce 

 of diseased animals, was openly sold without let or hindrance. 

 The infant mortality was appalling, and outbreaks of typoid fever 

 and other diseases were distinctly traceable to insanitary dairies. 



Government Veterinary Departments. 

 The first veterinary surgeon to receive a regular Government 

 appointment was Mr. Anthony Willows, M.R.C.V.S., a fellow 

 student of mine, who arrived in Sydney in 1883, and was appointed 

 Veterinarian to the New South Wales Agricultural Department. 

 He went to the Soudan War with the New South Wales Contingent, 

 and died on the return voyage. Mr. Willows was succeeded by 

 Mr. Edward Stanley, F.R.C.V.S., in 1885. Mr. Archibald Park, 

 M.R.C.V.S., was retained by the Tasmanian Government to inspect 

 imported stock, &c. ; while Mr. Chalwin, Adelaide; Mr. Irvine, 

 Brisbane; and Messrs. Vincent, Mitchell, Marsden, and myself 

 were approved by the Governor in Council to inspect imported 

 stock for Victoria. It was not, however, until 1897 that any regu- 

 lar public veterinary appointment in Victoria was made, when 

 Mr. S. S. Cameron was appointed veterinary surgeon to the Board 

 of Public Health. In 1905 he was transferred to the Agricultural 

 Department, and other appointments soon followed. Other States 

 have also established Government Veterinary Departments, but I 

 do not propose to deal with them here. 



