STOCK DISEASES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 14, 27 October 1932, Page 2

STOCK DISEASES

NO NEW OUTBREAKS. PROPRIETARY MEDICINES. (Special to the “Guardian ”) WELLINGTON, Oct. 25. In the annual report of the Department of Agriculture the DirectorGeneral (Dr C. J. Reakes) reports that the Dominion has been free from any new outbreak of disease • during the year, and the efforts of t*he Department’s staff to combat those existing have been actively continued. “A method of controlling and gradually eliminating mammitis from a dairy herd lias been elaborated by Mr Hopkirk, officer in charge at Wallaceville, and put into operation on a number of farms,” states Dr. Reakes. “It involves a preliminary microscopical examination of the milk of each cow, the milking of the cows in .a set order always, and further milk examination at intervals. The system is yet on its trial, and it is too early to state anything regarding its effectiveness. It is sound in principle and should prove valuable.

Vaccine Treatment. “As regards vaccine treatment, our own observations do not show any improvement in the position, and the recorded experiences of research workers in Great Britain and elsewhere abroad cannot be regarded as satisfactory. With a large proportion of more or less heavy-milking cows a certain percentage of cases of mammitis may always be expected, especially when milking machines are in use, and rendering the earliest manifestations of trouble likely to pass unnoticed. Still, everything possible must be done to reduce the number of cases to a minimum. “The research into pulpy kidney in lambs has, in the hands of Mr Gill, made further progress; and a notable advance in knowledge has been made. “Further work in connection with ante-partum paralysis in ewes indicates concurrence with the., view of Mr Leslie, of Lincoln College, that the exciting cause is over-fatness followed by the effects of food shortage. Lymphadenitis in Sheep. ‘ ‘The campaign against lymphadenitis in sheep has been energetically carried on. Its success is dependent upon the co-operation of sheepowners, and this is being secured to an interesting extent. The British health authorities have still further relaxed their restrictions in the matter of the examination of imported carcases, and their later reports indicate that the measures taken here are giving good results. This disease does not affect the general health of sheep, but it is necessary to still continue the special examination of all mutton and lamb carcases in order to ensure as far as is possible that no carcases containing the characteristic lesions of the disease are exported.

Proprietary Remedies. “Of late years a number of proprietary remedies for various live-stock ailments, particularly those affecting dairy cows, have been on the market. Some of these are in the form of licks, the remainder being preparations for either internal administration or odtward application. Taking the dairying community alone, the annual outlay of farmers in the purchase of these preparations must amount to a very large sum, and while some are - good and others useful in** varying degrees, it cannot be said that farmers get anything like good value for the money expended upon many of them. In certain cases which have been specially noted the price charged is out of all proportion to the intrinsic value of the ingredients present, even when it is recognised that the price is loaded with the costs of advertising, canvassing, etc.

“Then as regards licks, these are invariably composed of comparatively inexpensive material and often sold at a high price. Moreover, they are usually sold indiscriminately without regard to particular conditions of soil deficiencies or the need for medicinal materials for the maintenance of health and production in different districts, and in many cases the money spent on. them may not be recouped by any beneficial \ results. If farm animals are healthy and getting good nourishing food in sufficient quantity they do not need licks or anything else of a medicinal nature. It is evident that legislative action js necessary in order to prevent farmers being unduly and unreasonably exploited. Legislation Proposed. “Undue interference with the sale of all proprietary remedies is not suggested, but it is submitted that some effective form of regulation is badly needed. This could be brought about by the enactment of legislation required :

(1) All stock remedies to be officially registered. (2) A true description of the ingredients of each remedy and the price at which it is to b sold to be supplied with the application for registration. (3) Evidence as to the efficacy of the remedy to be supplied with the application for registration. (4) The appointment of a competent authority to approve or disapprove. registration. (5) The receptacle containing the remedy to have imprinted on a label affixed to it the weight or volume of the contained product and a description of its ingredients, this to constitute a warranty. “It is recommended that steps be taken to introduce legislation on these lines. The Department has done a good deal in discouraging the use of certain of the more blatantly objectionable remedies (one of these, for external application for mammitis, contained a good proportion of cow-dung); but without statutory authority the required reform cannot bo brought about.”