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THE VETERINARIAN, SEPTEMBER I, 1861. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. —Cicero. 
AUSTRALIAN LEGISLATION WITH REFERENCE TO 
PLEURO-PNE UMONI A. 
A British colony has set the mother country a notable 
example. The legislative assembly of Australia has passed 
an Act to prevent the extension of pleuro-pneumonia. Our 
antipodal brethren rightly refused to fold their arms and look 
indifferently on while an insidious foe was destroying their 
present hopes and future wealth. How many thousands of 
British cattle would have been preserved to us if we had acted 
as promptly and energetically on the original appearance of the 
disease ! We cannot now calculate our loss, but of this we 
may be assured, that the saving would have been immense. 
Much, however, as this apathy is to be regretted, it is as 
nothing compared to that still existing among agriculturists on 
the subject. They seem perfectly content to let things take 
their course, if so be they can exercise the privilege of 
grumbling over their losses. They desire to remain passive 
observers of the continuous destruction both of their own 
property and the food of the people. 
Practically, they daily arrive at the erroneous conclusion, 
that because pleuro-pneumonia is an incurable, it must 
necessarily be a non-preventible, disease. This may have had 
its origin in a want of scientific knowledge, but if so it is an 
additional reason why they should both listen to others and 
inquire for themselves. Each class has to look after its own 
interests, and all are properly very jealous of this right; but 
farmers ever seem to require some one to tell them what 
things they need, and what they should strive to either quit 
or retain. Without they can be made to agitate this question, 
nothing will ever be done, for our liberal Government is far 
too conservative of abuses to adopt means for their removal 
unless compelled to do so bv public opinion. Their 
