DEHORNING CATTLE

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19676, 20 July 1929, Page 19

DEHORNING CATTLE

TO THE EDITOH OF THX PUSS. Sir, —At the present moment an agitation for the compulsory dehorning of cattle is being made by interested parties, and B.P.C.A. Societies are having all the same old arguments in favour of the practice, but not one word of the other side of the case. According to the English veterinary profession, dehorning is not done to prevent cattle goring each other (which can easily be prevented), or injury in railway trucks, or cattle-yards, bnt to put a little extra money into the poekets of their owners. According to S.P.C.A. Societies in New Zealand the principals of the various veterinary colleges in England do not understand their own business, and two Judges (one a Lord Chief Justice) are deficient in common sense and understanding. For the purpose of rebutting some of the false representations now being made, I wrote to the English Society, and have received the following reply. This letter "should convince any one of ordinary intelligence, that the statements now being circulated by so-called Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, on the subject of dehorning cattle, have no truth in them, whatever. —Yours, etc., __, H. JXJTSTJM. July 19th, 1929. [Enclosure] "Dehorning adult cattle is probably the most painful operation one can perform on an animal, and the pa»n ao ** not cease at the termination of the operation. Drastic measures have to be taken to prevent or cheek hemorrhage and the base is left tender and highly sensitive for a week or two, and every touch or knock causes acute pam. la conseqnence of the continual pain, the operation should never be performed unless circumstances render it a nee f ß ' sary surgical operation for the re Her of the animal, and then cnder an anesthetic, and daily treatment afterwards to relieve pain."—E. G. Fatf*olmo, Chief Secretary English S.P-CA-