PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION K. 707 



Although good work has been done by the original pioneers 

 of the profession individually in warning the public against the 

 danger of animal diseases, as a body they were numerically weak 

 and inejBfective. Indeed, no attempt had been made to combine 

 and act in unison, and each one seemed to be pulling in a different 

 direction. 



Such was the condition of affairs when I arrived in Melbourne; 

 and when I had made up my mind to stay, and had thoroughly 

 considered the situation, I came to the conclusion that there was 

 a great deal of pioneering work yet to be done before the profession 

 could obtain a permanent footing. 



Two things appeared to be necessary, viz. : — ■ 



1. To overcome the ignorance and prejudice of stock-owners 



and the general public as to the aim and scope of 

 veterinary science; and 



2. To educate men for the veterinary profession who had been 



reared in the country, and were already acquainted with 

 the special conditions. 



The increasing frequency and great mortality caused by out- 

 breaks of diseases such as pleuro-pneumonia and anthrax, caused 

 considerable alarm, as evinced by the appointment of Royal Com- 

 missions to inquire into them; but, instead of invoking the aid of 

 the veterinary profession as they might have done, or even listening 

 to frequent warnings and advice gratuitously given, the most 

 irrational and absurd > measures wei'e adopted. Take the case of 

 the first outbreak of the above-mentioned disease — contagious 

 pleuro-pneumonia in cattle. Although diagnosed while yet con- 

 fined to a single herd by the late Mr. Henry Wragge, M.E..C.V.S., 

 and he had advised the immediate destruction of the whole herd, 

 his advice was ignored ; and while a Royal Commission sat to inquire 

 into the cause, &c., the disease got away, and ultimately spread 

 to every State in the Commonwealth. 



But this was not the worst of the bungling. Laymen, ignorant 

 of even the elements of pathological knowledge, essayed to inoculate 

 cattle for the prevention of pleuro-pneumonia, and frequently used 

 virus obtained from tuberculous animals, with the result that the 

 latter disease was spread broadcast. That tuberculosis can be 

 spread by pleuro virus obtained from an animal suffering from both 

 diseases at the same time I have proved experimentally. Great 

 mortality was also caused through the use of virus tainted with 

 septic organisms. 



The late Mr. Graham Mitchell, F.R.C.V.S., missed no oppor- 

 tunity of pointing out through the public press, and in every 

 possible way, the folly of trusting to lay advisers, but, unfortu- 

 nately, with little tangible result other than to bring calumny on 

 himself, and to be called an alarmist. 



