THE FOOT AND MOUTII DISEASE IN AUSTRALIA. 427 
very rapidly and soon ran its course. It was a very well-known 
fact amongst professional men that when the crisis of the disease 
was over, which was in about ten days, the animal suffering was no 
longer capable of spreading the disease. Seeing, however, that it 
had appeared at Sydney, precautions ought to be taken here. He 
had never seen the disease in sheep, pigs, fowls, or babies (laughter), 
but amongst cattle there was no disease so contagious. Here, 
from the manner in which stock were depastured, the disease would 
be very serious. In England a man could go with a bundle of hay 
and a bucket of water to each suffering beast, but in this colony, 
where cattle were grazing a number of miles from the nearest water, 
there would be no means of keeping alive those attacked by the 
disease. If the disease were introduced here most of the cattle on 
the runs would die. There would be no question of unwholesome 
meat—there would simply be no meat at all. There was no doubt 
whatever that if the disease once obtained a footing in this colony, 
it would kill one half of the cattle. In England the disease was 
not very fatal, but if it attacked a milch cow she speedily became 
dry, and the dairyman lost a season’s milk, while in the case of fat 
cattle it made them thin, and reduced them to the condition of 
store cattle. No doctoring was permitted by the farmers for this 
disease in England. Medicines, external and internal, had been 
found to be of no benefit whatever, while external applications 
were mischievous, as they caused the disease to turn inwardly. 
There was not, in fact, a professional man in the whole country 
who could cure a single animal. 
Mr. Graham Mitchell said, that within the last eighteen months 
the disease had assumed a new form. It was formerly not so 
serious, and sheep were exempt from it; but within the last eighteen 
months he believed it had become much more fatal, and sheep had 
been attacked by it. How long ago was it since Mr. M‘I)ougall 
was in England? 
Mr. M l Dougall replied that he was in England in 1870. He 
had it from the persons interested, that the worst thing in the 
world, if the cattle had the disease, was to admit a medical man 
inside the fence. There was very little danger, he might say, of 
the disease being introduced into this colony by breeders, for they 
naturally took the utmost care to secure healthy stock. The 
danger came from the speculator, who, so long as he made his £20, 
£30, or £40, did not care if the whole stock of the colony were 
infected. 
Mr. C. H. M‘Knight thought the meeting should give some 
clear expression of opinion, and urge upon the Government the 
necessity of taking some steps in the matter. Mr. Mitchell said 
the disease attacked the human subject, while Mr. M'Dougall said 
it did not; but he (Mr. M‘Knight) thought it would be better to 
err on the safe side. He considered the plain course for the meet¬ 
ing to take was, to urge upon the Government to communicate with 
the Governments of New South Wales and all the Australian 
colonies, in order that joint measures might be taken to prevent 
