ECZEMA OUTBREAK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 99, 29 April 1938, Page 9

ECZEMA OUTBREAK.

COOLER WEATHER HELPS.

DEPARTMENT'S ACTIVITIES

"It Is now gcnrTHiiy recognised that the eczema outbreak is definitely on the wane," said Mr. W. T. Collins, district supervisor of the Department of Agriculture, this illuming. Mr. Collins has just returned from a wide inspection of the badly infected areas in the Waikato. With the coming of cooler weather, and expectation of its continuance, the worst danger had jwssed, though stringent precautions would have to be taken for some time to come. . He was speaking of the Waikato area, but since the outbreak had been accompanied by similar conditions in other parts it was safe to assume that it was passing elsewhere as well. Yesterday was cooler in temperature, said Mr. Coilins, and no fresh cases had been reported from the Waikato. but on Wednesday, which had been hotter, etises had been notified.

There was no doubt that the weather had an important bearing on the outbreak. Much the same conditions of weather had been reported from wherever eczema had shown itself. Tlie average temperatures of this ond la.-t month had been much higher than normal, while it was also noticeable, and he thought significant, that in lit:!.". when there had been a previous outbreak, temperatures had been unusually h gh.

Questionnaire Drawn Up

Mr. Collins said his officers had been working in conjunction with farrierover a wide area. On April 21 a u-i-K-lv"-attendecl meeting liad boon hold ; ,r Kereoue, near Morrinsville. At :he meeting a committee had l>ooll M-K-to.l to work with tho officers of tho iXp.utinents. The members of tho committee were farmers who had an intimate knowledge of a given district, and wore therefore able to speak with aut'.orit,- ~f conditions on particular farms. L.-isi Thursday the committee and olfieeis of the Department had met in Hamilton and a questionnaire had been drown up! The questionnaire was taken t., individual farmers l>v officers o f the Department, and the ("jiicetion answered. They concerned farm management conditions of pasture, the nature of foods given over certain periods. ?he quantities, qualities and the mixtuio proportions of manures. Eight Veterinarians' Working. At present. Mr. Collins snid then; were eight veterinarians working ; u the Wnikato. Of these two had come f-o:n the South Island and one from Hav.kcs Bay. Another from Wellington was a research officer, who had his headquarters at Hamilton, and was engaged in coordinating all the results and i.norm.:tion received. Resides those ei-ht men there were the ordinary ollieors of the Department.

It had been noticeable. Mr. Collins said, that in many cases the man who miabt bo called the best farmer had suffered far more than the faniK-r whose hind included rough pasture. ilis own opinion was that research would show that plant physiologv would b> a fundamental factor.

The fund of information provided when the answers to the questionnaire had been co-ordinated, he added, -.voulj be most useful to the Department,, and ultimately to the farmers.

Mr. Collins pointed out thin the.,, could be no risk to the public .11 patina meat from the area. Every carcas.' -.xas inspected by the meat inspector at the abattoir, and any animal even slisrlitlv infected was rejected. Only pertV-c'ly healthy animals were available.