THE FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN AUSTRALIA. 425 
to diverge into discussions as to their origin. It is a matter 
to me of comparative indifference how .they originate. Our 
observations lead us to conclude, first, that they afford a 
characteristic by which we may distinguish the products of 
infective inflammations from those which are not infective, 
and that their number affords an indication of the degree of 
infectiveness; and, secondly, that their presence in the blood 
is an indication of that constitutional disturbance which 
accompanies infective inflammation; not merely when that 
disturbance assumes the degree of intensity of which we 
have an example before us, but in the slighter form of irri¬ 
tative fever. If these facts prove to be true, not only in the 
lower animals but in man, their importance is quite unaf¬ 
fected by any theory which we may entertain as to the origin 
of bacteria.^ 
THE EOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN AUSTRALIA. 
A meeting of stockowners and others, convened by the council 
of the National Agricultural Society, was held January 23rd, at 
Menzies’ Hotel, Melbourne, for the purpose of considering what 
steps should be adopted to prevent the introduction of the foot and 
mouth disease into the colony. There were about fifty persons 
present. Mr. Samuel Wilson was called to the chair. 
Mr. D. Munro, secretary to the National Agricultural Society, 
explained that the council of the society had called the meeting 
in consequence of a letter received from Mr. Graham Mitchell, 
M.R.C.V.S., who had drawn attention to the fact that at a meeting 
of stockowners, held recently at Sydney, the following resolution 
had been adopted:—“ That the Government be urged to enforce 
clause 10 of the Imported Stock Act 1871, by prohibiting the im¬ 
portation to this colony of all animals liable to foot and mouth 
disease so long as that disease is known to exist in Europe.” A 
letter had also been received from the secretary of the New South 
Wales Agricultural Society, forwarding a copy of resolutions 
adopted at a meeting of stockowners, held at Singleton, N.S.W., 
on the 12th January, to the same effect, and inviting the co¬ 
operation of the Victorian society in taking action in the matter. 
The Chairman remarked that this was a very important matter. 
It was very desirable that the food consumed by the people should 
be of a wholesome character, and it had been stated in the papers 
that the disease attacked the human subject from the use of the 
milk of cattle affected by the disease. Cattle, and even sheep, he 
thought, should be prohibited from entering the colony, or be intro¬ 
duced only under the most stringent quarantine regulations. There 
•were at present in the colony plenty of as good sheep and cattle as 
could be found in any part of the world, so that there was no ne¬ 
cessity for bringing in fresh stock from without. He thought the 
