THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 835

Treatment of Foot and Mouth Disease in Cattle.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 28th December, 1875.

THE following letter on the subject of the treat-
ment of the Foot and Mouth Disease in Cattle
is published for general information.

DANIEL POLLEN.

Akyab, 4th October, 1875.

DEAR SIR, I have the pleasure to enclose a copy of a
Memorandum I have prepared on the Foot and Mouth
Disease amongst cattle in British Burma.

My idea is, that from an impure state of the blood
parasitic organisms (somewhat akin to ringworm)
become generated about the tender parts of the
hoofs, which carbolic acid and camphor speedily
destroy.

Should the disease unfortunately appear within
your jurisdiction, and you think it worth while to
have my prescription tried, I shall be glad to hear
the result.

I remain, &c.,
H. NELSON DAVIES.

Akyab, British Burma,
1st October, 1875.

THE Foot and Mouth Disease among cattle is endemic
in British Burma, and one to which I have given a
good deal of attention. Not being a professional
doctor, I am diffident about giving an opinion as to
the origin of the disease. It becomes spontaneously
developed in moist, hot climates, when cattle are
closely herded together; it is also liable to be gene-
rated in a crowded ship, or on a long voyage; it also
appears when the early rains set in here, after a pro-
longed hot season, and the cattle eat voraciously the
young, rank grass. The origin is probably in the
digestive organs; the blood appears to get heated,
from eating improper food, or not getting sufficient
pure air and water. Microscopic entozoa become
generated about the corona and clefts of the hoofs.
These at first appear to cause irritation, like the itch
or mange, and the animal seeks relief in licking its
hoofs. The disease is thus communicated to the mouth,
and ultimately the tongue becomes so sore that the
animal cannot eat any food; the disease meanwhile
makes rapid progress in the feet, so that the hoofs
come completely off, and death results. I suspect
that other symptoms which appear elsewhere are
only an exaggerated form of the disease as known here.

The remedy which I have discovered is simply to
kill the parasitic animalculæ which cause the disease.
The medicine acts so rapidly that, if applied at an
early stage, the animal does not lose much in condi-
tion, three or four days being generally sufficient to
completely root out the seeds of the disease. Ibe-
accompanying prescription offers an infal-
lible cure, if only applied in time to this description
of murrain. I have treated many cases successfully,
-even when the hoof was apparently becoming de-
tached from the foot; but it is not safe to postpone
application of the medicine till the disease is too far
advanced.

I hear that in parts of India, and in Australia, the
plan adopted to root out the disease has been wholesale
slaughter. In England and on the Continent death
seems the only prescription. Even if one among a
herd is affected all are doomed; just as well might every
person attacked with cholera or small-pox be knocked
on the head. I believe this wholesale destruction is
unnecessary, and I do not think the disease is as con-
tagious or as fatal as is supposed. I have often seen
a herd of 20 or 30 head of cattle, always together,
with one, two, or three affected, and all the others go

free. Segregation is of course advisable; but I am
confident the disease, as known in Burma, can be
brought under control if taken in time.

H. NELSON DAVIES, Colonel,
Bengal Staff Corps.

PRESCRIPTION.

For the Feet.

Wash the feet with warm water and carbolic soap.
Dry with a cloth. Mix 1lb. of cutch, 4 oz. of cam-
phor, 3 drms. of liquid carbolic acid and 1 gallon of
water; stir up well, and apply the lotion with a feather
to the corona, and between the clefts of the hoofs,
and all round where the hoof joins the foot.

For the Mouth.

Wash as clean as possible with warm water and
carbolic soap. Take 16 lbs. of ripe tamarinds free
from stones and stalks, with 4 lbs. of salt, and mix
well into a paste. Draw out the tongue, and rub
gently with the paste, and also round the interior of
the mouth and muzzle. Repeat both the above pro-
cesses morning and evening, four to six days con-
secutively.

Note.—It will be well to let the animal eat and drink what
it can, and wander and rest at will. It should be allowed to
lick its hoofs, as the lotion will do its mouth good. Some conjee
or mash may be given, as the mouth is sore, and hard food can-
not be eaten. Molasses might do where tamarinds are not pro-
curable. Gum would probably answer instead of cutch. If
carbolic soap is not available, work up drm. of liquid carbolic
acid with 4 lbs. of common bar soap. A glove should be used,
so that the hands are not blistered in mixing the acid with the
soap.

Notice of Election of Mayors.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 30th December, 1875.

IT is hereby notified, that, in conformity with clause
133 of "The Municipal Corporations Act, 1867,"
the names of the under-mentioned persons have been
sent in to this office by the several Town Clerks as
the names of those who have been elected Mayors
for the boroughs set opposite their names :-

BENJAMIN TONKS-Auckland.
JOSEPH HENRY LEVIEN-Nelson.
JOHN EDWIN MACDONALD-Thames.
JAMES HUTCHESON SUTTER-Timaru.
GEORGE WILLIAM MOSS-Greymouth.
JOHN MUNRO--Westport.

DANIEL POLLEN.

NOTICE.

Department of Justice,
Wellington, 24th December, 1875.

THE attention of Coroners, and of Justices of the
Peace acting as such, is called to the following
provisions of "The Registration of Births and Deaths
Act, 1875."

By order,
R. G. FOUNTAIN,
Under Secretary.

Sec. 25. In case any dead body shall be found
exposed, a constable of the district shall forthwith
inform the Registrar thereof, and of the place where
such dead body was found; and when an inquest
shall be held on any dead body, the Coroner or
Justice of the Peace holding the same shall, within
fourteen days after the holding of such inquest,
notify to the Registrar of the district the verdict of
the jury, with all other particulars required to be
registered concerning the death, and such Registrar
shall make the entry in his register book accordingly,