258 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



of such " stamping out " policy when 

 applied to countries under efficient 

 sanitary control, it cannot be forgotton 

 that this same policy alone failed utterly 

 to check the progress of the disease both 

 in the Cape Colony and Natal. Indeed, 

 an extended trial of the reliability of 

 such means ot: suppressing a virulent 

 disease of the hi^^lily infectious nature of 

 Rinderpest must, under conditions such 

 as obtain at present in South Africa, be 

 considered a failure. Such a meas'ire is, 

 of course, of great utility when adopted 

 together with other means for sup- 

 pression, but to rely solely for the arrest 

 of an outbreak on the slaughtering of the 

 infected animals and those immediately 

 in contact would be to disregard the 

 dearly-bought experience of the past and 

 to run the risk of almost certain failure 

 in the f.uture. In addition to this, when 

 such an outbreak occurs in a Kafir Loca- 

 tion and has existed there for some 

 time before detection, even the most 

 ardent advocate of the stamping out 

 system will admit that other measures 

 are imperative if the progress of the 

 disease is to be arrested. 



The measures adopted in the present 

 instance consisted in the issue of orders 

 by the Government, upon the confirma- 

 tion of the outbreak, for the immediate 

 destruction of all animals affected with 

 the disease, or capable of conveying it. 

 Two oxen which were known to be 

 " salted " in 18'.*7 were reserved for the 

 purpose of sa])plying serum for any 

 further outbreak which might occur. 

 These beasts were immune, and the im- 

 munising power of their serum was con- 

 sidered to be greatly enhanced by their 

 recent close contact with the sick animals. 

 These beasts, however, though carefully 

 guarded and perfectly immune, and 

 potentially of the greatest utility in the 

 event of any extension of the disease 

 coming to light, were sacrificed to the 

 public demand to " stamp out," and — 

 trust to luck for the future. Meanwhile 

 the Colony is threatened by the disease 

 from outside. It is a matter for con- 

 gratulation, however, that a small supply 

 of serum had been reserved from the 

 181)G-'J7 outbreak, which was available 

 for use on the immediately surrounding 

 herds, and it is interesting to hear, by 

 official advice from Maseru, that rinder- 



pest serum is perfectly good and has lost 

 none of its immunising powers by the 

 lapse of time. So there are grounds for 

 hoping that the present Natal outV)reak in 

 the Umvoti Valley will be prevented 

 from extending. In addition to these 

 steps, precautions have been taken by 

 establishing a cordon extending round 

 the locality. 



The origin of the disease has proved, 

 as I have alrex'ly said, untraceable, so 

 there is, unfortunately, no warranty for 

 our future safety, but it cin be asserted 

 with confidence that N^ital will for some 

 years yet be free from the possil)ility of 

 an invasion of the dise.ise to the same 

 degree as the epizootic of 1896 and 1897. 

 Young stock are undoubtedly susceptible 

 now, and as the animals which were 

 salted during the progress of the late out- 

 break die out, to that degree we shall 

 Ijecome increasingly susceptible. 



The policy to be adopted in the event 

 of a future' serious outbreak of Rinder- 

 pest is a matter for grave consideration. 

 Fortunately we all of us know more of 

 the disease and its treatment than we did 

 five years ago. 



The feverish efforts of scientific workers 

 at that time to achieve something which 

 would oppose a barrier to the progress of 

 this fell disease have since been reviewed 

 and tested by scientists in many parts 

 of the world, and in this way the best 

 practical method is being slowly evolved 

 from their efforts. 



If one can judge from the present state 

 of our knowledge, the means likely to be 

 adopted for checking the disease will be 

 the temporary or "passive" immunisa- 

 tion with serum alone of animals surround- 

 ing the focus of infection, which will it- 

 self be dealt with on the principle of 

 slaughtering all infected and susceptible 

 animals. 



Both Russia and Turkey have adopted 

 this policy. Here in Natal we should, 

 however, endeavour to preserve a judg- 

 ment free from bias. 



Time alone will show the best method 

 of dealing with this disease, and to the 

 arbitrament of time I submit the issue. 



In parts of North A.merica, the Russian mul- 

 berry is comini? icto high favour for fence posts. 

 Recently one firm of nurserymen shipped 

 150,000 yountj trees to Shenandoah, Iowa, to be 

 plantei and <icrown expressly for posts. 



