13 



to go very fully into tlie subject, because, in asking an opinion on any question 

 it is necessary that all the facts of the case should be fully stated ; but 

 especially because there seems to be so very great a diversity in the opinions 

 held by the veterinary authorities in England and the stock-owners in Australia 

 on the subject of inoculation. There is no doubt but that as a class our 

 stock-owners are as thoroughly practical and as intelligent (and as a rule it 

 ■was the most intelligent and best informed who inoculated) as the same class 

 in any other port of the world, and it would be very strange if they are all 

 making a mistake. If they are, the veterinary authorities in England would 

 be doing good service by showing — as T trust they will, should they stiU dis- 

 approve of inoculation — how our stock-owners are deceiving themselves. 



I trust that, under the circumstances, Messrs. Editors, you will not only 

 afford the necessary space in your columns for this letter, but that you will 

 assist me in other ways in obtaining the information I require. 



I have, &c., 



ALEX. BEUCE, 

 Chief Inspector of Stock, Xew South Wales." 



Although I was led to believe by a member of the veterinary 

 profession that my request would be at once responded to, I am 

 sorry to say that my anticipations were iiot realized. My letter 

 did not elicit a single reply. 



(2.) — INOCULATION IN London Dairies. 



In the meantime, however, I learned that inoculation as a pre- 

 ventive for pleuro-pneunionia was practised by some of the 

 owners of stock without professional assistance, and this especially 

 by dairymen in London and its suburbs. I therefore sent copies 

 of the letter which appeared in the Veierinarian to the diiferent 

 agricultural papers, with the hope that some of those owners who 

 had been practising inoculation would give me the results of their 

 experience. Here again I was disappointed, as no response was 

 made to my request for information ; but although this was the 

 case, the Editors of these papers, in bringing the subject of inocu- 

 lation under the notice of their readers, expressed themselves 

 generally in favour of its efficacy ; and if their remarks on the 

 subject, and the republication of the letter referred to, did not 

 suggest the inquiry with regard to the practice of inoculation for 

 pleuro-pneumonia in the London dairies which was afterwards 

 carried out by Mr. Morgan Evans, at the suggestion of Professor 

 Gramgee, late Principal of the JN^ew Veterinary College, London, 

 when he found that of thirty -two dairymen who had inoculated 

 their cattle there were thirty decidedly in iavour of the practice, — 

 they at any rate gave Mr. Evans considerable encouragement to 

 persevere in his undertaking, and have also led stock-owners in 

 other parts of the United Kingdom to give inoculation a trial. 



Professor Gamgee, who has for years devoted his attention to 

 the prevention of diseases in stock, although at first opposed to 

 inoculation for pleuro-pneumonia, is now and has been for a con- 

 siderable period a strong advocate for its practice, and I have to 

 thank him for a great deal of valuable information, more especially 



