A Visitor From C.A.B.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31333, 1 April 1967, Page 10

A Visitor From C.A.B.

TN recent years the names, activities, and purposes of many organisations have been screened behind strangelooking words in all capitals with no full stops. The initials lAB (Imperial Agricultural Bureaux) began to enter the conversation and reports of Commonwealth scientists in the early 30’s, became the CAB In 1948, and the organisation of Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux has expanded over the years to provide a comprehensive service of scientific information on a world basis. New Zealand, as a contributing member country, is represented on the executive council of the bureaux by Dr. V. A. Armstrong. A great stimulus to New Zealand interest in the organisation was provided in February of this year by the visit of Dr. Sheila M. Willmott Director of the Commonwealth Bureau of Helminthology. From behind what, to many, must have been the initials of a somewhat formidable and impersonal organisation, emerged a warm and engaging personality. She met many fellowscientists here, visited research organisations, and talked about the work of her bureau.

Introducing her to members of the Institute of Agricultural Science at an informal luncheon gathering at the Soil Bureau, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Taita, Mr 1 L Baumgart, Assistant Director-General,

D.S.LIL, and liaison officer in New Zealand for the bureaux, said that the 1963 Review Conference of CAB had emphasised the importance of more frequent visits by directors of bureaux to Commonwealth countries; he had strongly supported the invitation of Australia and Ceylon to Dr. Willmott to come to this part of the world. New Zealand was one of the 23 British Commonwealth countries contributing to financing CAB; as a primary pro-

during country It was vitally concerned with parasites of plants and animals that were a main interest of Dr. Willmott’s bureau. Dr. Willmott had recently come more closely under New Zealand influence when Dr. Armstrong, New Zealand senior scientific liaison officer in London, was best man at her wedding last October to Mr J. E. C. Coventry, scientific liaison officer for Rhodesia at Africa House. Dr. Willmott’s bureau is one of 10 bureaux and three institutes comprising CAB. Units of the organisation constantly scrutinise scientific journals and reprints published throughout the world on agriculture, including animal health and forestry. The more Important items are abstracted and published in 19 specialist publications. In 1964-65 the C.A.B. journals contained abstracts of more than 75,000 papers originally appearing in about 12,000 scientific journals in more than 40 languages. In the same year C.A.B. institutions identified about 10,000 entomological species; and 74 biological control projects were undertaken for Commonwealth countries. Dr. Willmott said that the

establishment of the Bureau of Helminthology had arisen from recognition by the Commonwealth entomological conference in the late 1920’s that there was need for more information on parasitology and means to process and distribute it The bureau, at first called the Institute of Parasitology, was set up in 1929 with headquarters in a cowshed and a staff of four, under Professor R. T. Leiper. The importance of helminths was then only beginning to be recognised. In those early days the institute produced 2000 abstracts and titles a year, the beginning of the bibliographical work that had become the solid foundation of the bureau. Staff of the bureau was now 16, with an

annual output of 3000 abstracts and titles.

Helminthological abstracts came from about 700 journals, published in 25 to 30 languages, from most parts of the world. Five of the bureau’s staff worked continuously on abstracts, but the bureau could still not cope with some of the exotic language and called on a panel of outside abstractors. Abstracting was an exacting and skilled task, and highquality abstracts were usually best prepared by professional abstractors; few writers could prepare an objective abstract of their own papers.

The first budget of the institute in 1929 was £lOOO (inclusive of salaries); it was now £30,000. Costs generally had gone up, more and better abstracts were produced, and printing and publishing costs had increased. The bureau also included two main laboratories, one specialising in plant nematodes and the other dealing with helminth parasites of animals.

There was a steady stream of material coming in for identification from all over the world, and the bureau was trying to do this work without adequate regional reference collections. Material for regional collections was wanted, and would be especially welcome from New Zealand. One of Professor Leiper’s hobbies had been the collecting of old books and manuscripts, and his collection had recently been bought by the bureau, which now had the best helminthological library in the world. The earliest publication on helminths was in the time of Charles H, and the eighteenth century works on taxonomy were very useful.

The bureau runs a lean service with journals and reprints, but not with textbooks; there was a minimum delay

.. ' of four to six months in publishing abstracts; bibliographies were prepared on request, and the bureau was prepared to extend this service. Latest addition to the burea’s activities was a fisheries helminthology research unit There was quite a problem with nematodes in commercial fish in Britain, and the new unit worked in close cooperation with the marine laboratory at Lowestoft of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Dr. Willmott’s fortnight in New Zealand included visits to and discussions with research and administrative personnel at the Hydatid Research Unit, Taieri, Otago University, Invermay Agricultural Research Centre, Canterbury University, Crop Research Division, Lincoln, Cawthron Institute and Entomology Division, Nelson, Massey University, Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, Soil Bureau, Taita, Auckland University, and Plant Diseases Division, Auckland. Discussing her impressions after her address at Taita, she said that it was obvious that there were enough problems in New Zealand to need many more parasitologists, particularly on the plant side. She was even prepared to “stick out her neck” and say there was a need for an Institute of Parasitology. There were a few people doing high-pow-ered immunological work, but there was a big gap in our knowledge of necessary basic facts.