The Press. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1898.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10215, 10 December 1898, Page 6

The Press. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1898.

DISEASE IN STOCK AND MAN. We are afraid that the colony is dealing in a very haphazard and unscientific way with consumption, or tuberculosis and cancer in stock. It is true that "as a colony we are, as compared with many countries in Europe and with the Eastern States of North America and Canada, comparatively free from the great scourge of consumption. But it is present in the colony, and our cattle suffer in some parts from it to a very considerable extent. We hear of cattle being inspected, tested with tuberculin, declared infected, and killed. Cattle also suffer from actinomycosis, a species- of tumour, and these when, discovered are also destroyed. There is, however, no sufficient inspection, and when the «»'—ia?g aj© found diseased no care is taken to prevent a recurrence of these maladies. It is not for want of information that we so act. There have been several scientific ComI missions, dealing with tuberculosis in cattle, and fn>m the report of these Commissions we might obtain most useful hints. Let ns deal with consumption or tuberculosis first. First, cattle infected with tuberculosis, if taken in time, may be cured, and those not much affected if killed are not wholly unfit for food. In Germany and other parts of Europe, where there is a strict inspection of cattle killed, only few are condemned as wholly unfit for food. The meat, however, of the infected animal before being sold for foodj is sterilised by steaming. The danger in any case is not so much from eating the flesh of cattle that are infected by tuberculosis, as the meat is cooked, and thus the microbe is destroyed, but the great danger is.from the use of milk of cows so infected. This may explain the statistics that show that consumption as a disease is not decreasing so much among the very young as among the, mid-

die-aged. There has been a fallingoff of. deaths from consumption in England during the last thirty years at ages of from 15 to 45 years of about 40 per oent., whilst during the period when milk is largely consumed, from birth up | to five years, the fall has been only about 3 per cent. The Royal Commission points out that the consumption of milk has increased, and that it is amongst those who use most milk that the death-rate from consumption has not fallen to any appreciable extent. The remedy, no doubt, is to sterilise the mils. If the milk were boiled it would be made practically safe. We consume raw milk, though we do not eat raw meat, and we pay the penalty for doing so. Again, we take no steps to find out the causes of consumption in stock, It arises from heredity—though not to a large extent —and from bad| housing and from bad food. If cattle were housed well and well there would be little tubercular disease. This has been proved by experiments in Denmark. If farmers keep cows in badly ventilated and dirty byres, or mix them with infected stock, they may expect tuberculosis in their cattle. Well ventilated sleeping places are necessary for men, and so are they for cattle. How many byres are, ever properly cleaned ? Are the byres ever fumigated, or the walls washed? And how few are properly ventilated ? That the want of sanitary surroundings has much to do with tubercular disease has been proved. It has been found that cattle kept out of doors have less disease than those housed. The percentage of consumption in milch cows housed is thrice as great as in heifers kept out of/ doors. Again, if calves get milk from tuberculous cows the disease is transmitted. We have before pointed out that the dairy factories in this colony, excellent institution though they are on the whole, are probably responsible for the spread of disease among our herds, owing to the fact 1 that the milk from all the cows, healthy or unhealthy, is mixed together, before the separated product is returned to the suppliers. The milk from one tuberculous cow will infect a large quantity of healthy milk, and calves fed on the mixture will run the risk of contraot- . ing the disease. This danger is recognised on the Continent, and is guarded against by pasteurising the milk. . A similar precaution ought to be. insisted on in New Zealand. Regarding cancer and actinomycosis, the causes that lead to these diseases are not' so well understood, but we know that cows well cared for do not develop disease of any kind so readily as those negleoted. We must look to the better regulation of the killing of animals for meat for. the protection of the public health. There must be efficient inspection of abattoirs. This has not yet been provided for, save in one or two places in the colony. The Royal Commission pointed to the fact that efficient inspection could not be provided if there were numerous abattoirs for each town, and 1 that the Glasgow system, which is really the system in most towns on the Continent, should be followed—that is, that there should be public abattoirs maintained by the" boroughs, under efficient inspection, and where meat is-killed at small cost to the butchers. This seems to'be the only remedy that is effectual for stopping the sale of diseased meat. The indifference which has hitherto been shown in regard to the health of the public, is a standing I reproach both to the general Government and most of the local bodies, who are strangely apathetic where human life and health are concerned. The Agricultural Department has not moved in this matter with the energy it might have shown: In Germany, Denmark and France great progress has-been made in sanitary science; we have lagged behind in this, as in- so many other important matters/