Thesis On “The Farmer And His Poisons”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30602, 19 November 1964, Page 7

Thesis On “The Farmer And His Poisons”

Farmers were subjecting themselves and others to unnecessary contamination by poisons in agricultural chemicals, said Dr. R. R. Bailey, in his preventive medicine thesis which was awarded the 1963 Inkster-Ross memorial prize and medal. His paper, entitled “The Farmer and His Poisons,” is reprinted in the “New Zealand Medical Journal.”

As part of his thesis, he investigated the use of some synthetic insecticides by a group of Canterbury farmers. Forty-eight farmers, most of them market gardeners, within a 20-mile radius of Christchurch were interviewed on their experience with agricultural chemicals. Giving his reasons for deciding on this, Dr. Bailey said he felt that although the legislation on the use of the chemicals was comprehensive and strict, the farmer remained blissfully ignorant and unaware of the potential dangers and the precautions

recommended and also stipulated by law. “The nature of the farmer’s work with agricultural chemicals makes it impossible to achieve the degree of control or surveillance that is possible in a factory, for example,” he continued. “For this reason rules and regulations for personal protection from pesticide contamination are less likely to achieve their aim unless they are rigidly enforced. The emphasis must, therefore, be on education and the training of workers rather than on their supervision.” But steps should be taken to see that proper facilities for treatment were available if necessary. Whenever it knew of any new and toxic pesticide the Department of Agriculture should make certain that doctors and the hospital in the area were given a full account of the symptoms and signs of poisoning and the effective treatment, if any.

The public were becoming increasingly aware of the public health problem;' but the over-all health problem posed by the widespread use of chemicals in agriculture was not as extensive as in some other parts of the world, because New Zealand had been able to learn from the errors made by other countries.