PLEURO-PNEUMONIA IN AUSTRALIA. 353 
pneumonia. We believe that the disease was likely to have 
been communicated by this beast. 
We are at all events satisfied that the Messrs. M'Laurin 
did not know at the time they took their cattle from Mitta 
Mitta that any disease was amongst them, and that these 
gentlemen did not neglect any reasonable precaution to 
prevent its introduction into the colony. 
Although we have not, in this case, been able to trace with 
certainty the infection from one beast to another, we do not 
entertain the shadow of a doubt of the disease itself being in¬ 
fectious in the highest degree. Some of the links of the chain 
may have escaped notice, but they were in existence never¬ 
theless. In other cases the connection throughout has been 
so manifest as to defy disbelief. Mr.Veterinary-surgeon Pottie 
is strongly of the same opinion, as well as Mr. Smith, the 
Victorian commissioner at Albury, whose experience in the 
investigation 0 f this disease in the sister colonv has been con- 
siderable. However much Professor Dick and some others 
may have argued against the infectious nature of pleuro¬ 
pneumonia, no practical or sane man will ever think of 
bringing diseased cattle amongst his herd, and hope to escape 
with impunity. 
With respect to Terry’s bullocks, which were found in¬ 
fected near Campbeltown, we have not been able to obtain such 
information as to connect them with other diseased cattle. 
We ascertained that, in the month of April last, he brought 
loading with bullock teams to Mr. Thomson, of Wagga 
Wagga, and it was thought that at that time he went some 
distance down the Murrumbidgee to his brother’s residence, 
but we could not find that he had gone any further towards 
Ten-mile Creek or the country known to be first infested. 
We shall now consider the steps that have been adopted, 
and how far they have been successful. 
The manner in which the disease first appeared at the 
Yarra Yarra station has been already described. Our col¬ 
league, Mr. Bruce, was appointed an inspector in the early 
part of September last, with power to have all the diseased 
cattle on the station destroyed, so soon as the symptoms 
made their appearance. From the voluminous reports, let¬ 
ters, and suggestions which he has forwarded to your depart¬ 
ment, and the information they afford, we think it advisable, 
as they tend to throw considerable light on the early stages 
of the disease in the colony, to enclose them in a collected 
form. We regret, however, that his exertions were not suc¬ 
cessful. His reports too plainly show the rapid and uncon¬ 
trollable progress of the disease in the herd, notwithstanding 
xxxv. 23 
