Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927)(about) |
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Saturday 19 August 1882
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3 corrections, most recently by doug.butler - Show corrections
Pleura in the Territory«
We. have to thank Mr. Inspector Foelsche for drawing the attention of the District Council to the fact that cattle imported with this disease had been killed and offered for sale at the
Union, and further inquiring what steps had been taken, or were taken, to prevent the introduction of diseased cattle into the Territory. After con- siderable discussion the Council came to the conclusion that the appointment of an inspector, either of cattle or sheep, was quite beyond their province or jurisdiction, and appointed the chairman, Mr. Brown, and tj^clerk to lay the matter before the (government
Resident. We have reason,to believe that this has been done, and that the Resident has communicated with tho
Government ou the subject. That there should be a general Inspector ap- pointed is apparent enough, for it is no use waiting until some hitherto un- known disease springs up which may be attributed to the climate, and not to its proper source. We have no doubt that many in Palmerston have within
the last three months had great occa- sion to complain of the bad quality of the meat supplied to them, and when complaining to their butchers have been met with something like this: " Yes, I admit the meat is poor just now, we are killing off a few young steers (or heifers, as the case may be)
before our fresh mob comes down." That these so-called young steers, with out a vestage of fat on their carcases, were infected old cows or bullocks is very probable. Now, although Pro- fessor Tate's opinion is that the Terri- tory cannot produce marketable beef, and, moreover, that " we should all be cleared out and begin de noco" we don't care about being thus summarily disposed of before our time by eating meat that is unfit for human food. A fillet from a well-conditioned missionary would be eaten by a Solomon Islander in preference to some of the meat we have lately eaten in the Territory. We insert Mr. Foelsche's letter, and in doing so hope it will tend to some prompt action being taken before it is
too late. From what we know (theoretically, of course) the disease as described in the Inspector's letter is , quite correct, and may draw the atten-
tion of station holders to the fact that their runs are in danger :
Police Inspector's Office,
Palmerston, July 21, 1882.
To the Chairman of the Palmerston
District Council.
Sir.-As there are two butchers in Palmerston who obtain their cattle from
up country, I have the honour, in my official capacity, to bring under your notice the fact that some cattle lately brought over from Queensland for home consumption are suffering from pleura, which the following abstracts from re- ports furnished by Mounted-constable
Lucanus, stationed at Pine Creek, will " show, viz: :
" July 9th, 1882.
" A Chinese butcher at the Union reported to me that a disease is among the cattle he bought from Mr. Hay at Yam Creek, being of the last lot Mr. F. Hann brought over lately ; some of them have died already and several are very bad ; it seems to he pleura. Will go over and inspect cattle to-morrow and report.
" July 13th.
" On Monday, the 10th instant, I in- spected the diseased cattle at Union,
and found several of them sick. The butcher killed two of them and when opened found the lungs grown to the ribs. Part of the lungs presented a slimy, soft and whitish condition, which,
when cut open, emitted a thin yellow fluid. After skinning the beast the fat had a yellowish-green appearance.''
No doubt the disease in these cattle had reached a very advanced stage. As a citizen I would urge upon the Council to exercise the powers vested in them by Clause 90 of the District Councils Act
and appoint an Inspector bf Slaughter-
houses uuder Clause 6 of Act No. 5 of
1849, (copy of which I forward herewith) to prevent diseased cattle being killed for home consumption within the juris- diction of the District Council.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your obedient servant,
Paul Foelsche,
Inspector of Police.