[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria. 33 (N.S.), 1921]. 



Art. XII. — Researches into the Serological Diagnosis of 

 Contagious Pleuro- Pneumonia of Cattle. 



By G. G. HESLOP, M.V.Sc., D.V.H. 



(Walter and Eliza Hall Fellow). 



(Communicated by Professor H. A. Woodruff.) 



[Head 9th December, 1920.] 



i 



Introduction. 



Contagious pleuro-pneumonia was introduced into Australia. 

 by the importation into Victoria of an infected cow from Great 

 Britain in 1858. Soon after its introduction into Australia the 

 disease spread with alarming rapidity, and in a very short time 

 it had become disseminated through every State in the Common- 

 wealth. 1 



At the present time the disease exists in each of the Australian 

 States, with the single exception of Tasmania, which, owing to 

 its geographical situation, has been able, by the adoption of rigid 

 quarantine restrictions, to prevent introduction from the main- 

 land. 



In Victoria an active policy has been adopted by the State 

 Veterinary Department, in dealing with outbreaks ; the measures 

 adopted being strict quarantine of infected and incontact herds, 

 the slaughter of all visibly infected animals, isolation of all doubt- 

 ful cases, and prophylactic immunisation by inoculation of virus 

 subcutaneously in the tail of all contacts. 



That these measures have proved inadequate to free the StaU 

 of pleuro-pneumonia, and keep it free from the disease is evi- 

 denced by the occasional outbreaks which occur from time to 

 time in various portions of the State. On the other hand, their 

 application has been attended with a considerable amount of 

 success, and any relaxation of them is immediately followed by 

 an extension of the disease throughout the State. 



As an instance : During the late war, owing to the absence 

 on active service of the majority of the members of the State 



1. W. T. Kendall (1913), " Notes on the Early History of the Veterinary 

 Profession in Victoria." Report of the 14th meeting of the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 704. 



