296 
D. E. SALMON. 
it may be that in this respect I am assuming somewhat the 
character of an alarmist, but there are certain cases in which it is 
justifiable to sound an alarm. If the colonists of Australia and 
South Africa had realized what was in store for them by the in¬ 
troduction of pleuro-pneumonia, would not they gladly have 
slaughtered the infected animals as soon as discovered and placed 
sentries around every infected piece of ground ? But they did 
not realize their danger, and the result was most disastrous to 
their leading industry; nor do we to-day, as a people, realize the 
losses that are continually occurring, and the much greater losses 
that must of necessity follow in the future from pleuro-pneumonia 
and Texas fever if they are not checked. Any one who under- 
derstands the nature of pleuro-pneumonia could have predicted 
with absolute certainty the result of infecting the ranges of Aus¬ 
tralia and South Africa with the germs of this disease; and so 
the result of infecting our pastures with either lung plague or 
Texas fever may be predicted at this time with the greatest con¬ 
fidence. It is not a question as to whether our people should be 
aroused and alarmed, but simply as to how this can be done in 
time to prevent the misfortune that is impending. 
Wo have remained tranquil in the belief that the Texas fever 
infection was only permanent in the malarial districts of our south 
Atlantic and gulf coasts, and that it could under no circumstances 
resist a heavy frost. But this is a deplorable mistake. Texas 
fever and malaria have nothing in common—the infection has ex¬ 
tended and is now permanent in lands perfectly free from mala¬ 
ria ; and not only does it resist a heavy frost, but it is not even 
exterminated by winters when the temperature sinks to zero, or 
even below. 
I have written this to call attention to the importance of this 
disease ; and when I have added that as the plague advances over 
a new district it not only destroys the greater part of the native 
cattle, but it makes the raising of these animals practically im¬ 
possible for ten or twenty years, and that forever afterwards the 
introduction of improved stock is attended with the most dis¬ 
heartening losses, the reader cannot fail to see that this import¬ 
ance is not exaggerated. 
