INCIDENCE OF ANTHRAX IN STOCK IN AUSTRALIA. 47 
In 1876 A. Park, M.R.C.V.S., a veterinarian practising at 
Warrnambool reported sheep dying of blood poisoning in an 
epizootic form, and G. Mitchell, M.R.c.v.s., declared in the 
same year that the disease was Anthrax, a diagnosis with 
which Park concurred. Graham Mitchell carried on a 
fierce controversy with the officials in Victoria over the 
question, and published the correspondence ensuing there- 
from in 1877 under the title of “‘Cumberland Disease,’’ so 
called new disease. Hamlet records that in 1883 Anthony 
Willows, M.R.C.V.S., reported on the prevalence of Anthrax 
on the Lachlan, and advocated vaccination. In 1885 
Edward Stanley, F.R.C.V.S., again recommended vaccination 
when reporting on the disease at Narrandera, and in 1888 
Pasteurs representatives gave the demonstrationin Anthrax 
Vaccination at Junee, whence arose the work of A. A. 
Devlin followed by J. Gunn and later McGarvie Smith. 
The earlier records of the disease in the State are of 
course very incomplete, but odd notes are available from 
the reports of the Chief Inspectors of Stock from 1869 
onwards. In that year the disease was reported in twelve 
out of thirty-four districts in what are termed the coast, 
upland and intermediate portion of the colony. In 1870 
Bathurst, Dubbo, Canonba, and Tamworth reported Anthrax 
in cattle and a few districts in sheep, and in 1871 the north 
western districts reported the disease in sheep, and Dubbo, 
Forbes, Narrabri, Canonba, and Tamworth in cattle. From 
that time on to 1879 the disease appears to have been very 
little in evidence and in that year it was reported to a 
slight degree in cattle in five districts and not at all in 
sheep. 
Nothing of importance is noted with regard to Anthrax 
until 1885, when it was referred to in the following terms: 
“This scourge which is known in the Australian colonies as 
Cumberland Disease, has I regret to say, been prevalent during 
