ERRING IN IGNORANCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 109, 31 January 1908, Page 8

ERRING IN IGNORANCE.

A CRITIC OF OUR DAIRY INSPECTION WHAT MR. M'NAB SHOULD DO. - A PLEA FOE THE,SPECIALIST. '; On'the broad deck of tlio Athenic, .as-'-sho gathered in her last!.bits of cargo for a voyr age to Great Britain, stood a man who, was ■ palpably-Scotch. He'was a Ccotchman too, of some celebrity. Ho was Mr. Aloxander Inglis M'Callum, J.P., 'of Edinburgh, M.R.C.V.Sj, vice-chairman of the .Board of Governors, of the Royal Deck College ,of Edinburgh. Mr. M'Callum is obviously .a \ man of mark in Edinburgh's scientific circles, for , besides having initiated the movement which, is to rpsnlt in-the Royal Deck College becoming attached, to the Edinburgh tlni-! , probably to its being're-built— ; he. has endowed that college-with a Chair, of 'PathoKjgy and Bacteriology, at a cost of £15,000. Fifteen thousand! pounds for a rChair .of 'Pathology! If there is any truth in the common view of a Scotchman's appreciation of money's value, then'it must be obvious that pathology, in Mr. WCallum's mind, is a matter of the most-supreme im'.portanco. . • ■ Fond of the: Dairy. Cows. A Domdoon representative who conversed I'rith Mr. M'Callum just before his depart'ure was struck withvthe intense, interest he (displayed in the welfare of . dairy herds. He : had .visited Tasmania,: .Victoria, New South ; Wales, and New Zealand, observing the rural life of each, the education methods,. the ag-! ricnJtnral laws and their;administration; and Sthoughjhis eye, had noted many things of [technical, interest in, his travels, his mind,' >5n his conversation, seemed always -to rest , : back, for preference,,on. tho. colrimon cow. s "I attached myself,", he said,, "at tara'7naki,';with. a citizen, of Edinburgh, arid shared ■the\work of, the, daily farm, rising at 4.30 ■'■* a.ml. to .milk the. cows.- I:did; this in order thatjl might sf<> the life exactly as itlis,- and ■£o ;be able to-'tell a true story to the people • at' Home." .. And that stoijr—? .'. "Will.,be that if.,l had to slave at dairy /farming,' I would-rather slave at Home than ,-in. New Zealand."!'■ ' Discovered Tuberculosis., Did you examine many -of our'cattle as'; /id thoir-health? . . • I' "Yes;'and two cows were _ slaughtered: at' ,-Jny instigation for tuberculosis! . But with ; the health of • the cattle as a whole I was V very well pleased. They are a mixed lot and they, are 'not, of course, such heavy milkers as those'we have at Home, hut they are more robust, being, kept under more natural :-conditions- The dairy farmers, will do well to breed up their own herds. That is the only way-to ensure gootl health. Let them hrst see, of courso, that the bull and the cows .with' which they begin are free from disease.-'' Our' dairy farmers , unfortunately have lately been slaughtering their: calves wholesale. They consider that it does not pay them to provide the necessary food for rearr ing. them. "Maladministration of. food. It is a great ■ pity-" . , -. . ■ Mammitis? We think it is very preval- 1 ent. Did you detect any?. .... 1 "I-examined two cows which were sup- 1 posed to have mammitis, but it was not. It : was tuberculosis of .tho udder." . , i Mammitis a Precursor of Tubercle. j Is not mammitis'difficult to diagnose ? ( ( ' " Not specially difficult. Chiefly there is 1 high temperature. But mammitis prepares . the way for tuberculosis, where there s -is a j tuberculousj diathesis even in a latent form. , WTierever you get inflammation, there the ( tubercle germ is likely to establish itself. ( It feeds first of all on tho by-products of the ; mammitis or other form of inflammatory (lis- ] ease, and tuberculosis develops. It is the < same ,as with a human being. Inflammation g of the .lungs occurs, from catarrh, pleurisy,, j or other cause, and then the latent tubercle ( germ which has been patiently awaiting a , favourable opportunity takes hold." £ Do' you say mammitis is not prevalent c hero? (

" I think it is .very prevalent, and I have formed an impression as to the cause.. Many of your people are in the habit of milking .their cows.in the open, instead of gathering them in a' milking shed. They often collect them under a'clump of trees and milk them there. Now you know, wherever you have a clump of trees,' there you hav'o also a current of cold* air underneath. This chills tho udder,' and mammitis is likely to foi- : low." Clean Mlllsins Sheds. " But you. would prefer the open air to a dirty shed ? " Infinitely. The shed must bo clean Dirt'is the root of all disease. Where ] stayed in Taranaki, although I was pleased and almoft surprised to find'the milk yields were weighed.and the fat tests entered up, yet there: was still .something lacking in the system. So after tho .first .milking; when wo had sent the .milk away to the factory; wo improved ;.tho: hygienic'arrangements, very ..much, .Where a-.floor is covered with litter, the expectoration from a, tuberculoer. cow settles on it. " At first it is moist, it dries, and it then' becomes stirred up and inhaled by other cows; tq spread the disease. There must be ho traps )n a shed floor.' - The byre must be built, with the level.'so' arranged that everything > can be washed ,

Too Much Layman. Can you suggest ai:y legislation—anything that-the Government could do—to improve the. industry? . . " I. don't like your, legislation." • What displeases you? "You have put too much confidence in laymen. You don't appreciate tho value of trained men,' and you consequently have in-ferior-work done." . For examplo— Your inspection of dairies. I have read that you have appointed a number of .laymen, and you propose to train them.'for two months with the idea of fitting them to inspect dairies, condemn cattle, and arbitrate generally. No man but a well-trained veterinarian- should bo' entrusted with such work. You cannot make a man a veterinarian in two months'. Why, it takes four years' study at our' colleges."' Would it not bo- possible to give these men in ,two months sufficient training to enable them to carry out certain routine operations? I You could teach thom the science of drainage in two months. You could'teach t.hcm ventilation iu another two months. JJut you could not tench them pathology in loss than a whole "oar. A wholo year at Rome is devoted entirely to and bacteriology. They have,' in addition, to study surgery, anatomy, obstetrics', botany, chemistry, hygiene; medicine,' stable-nianaf'e-agemcnt, physiology, etc."' ' *: The Confidence of Ignorance, . V You cannot fit a man to havo authority in a dairy herd with two months' training. Ho may bo disposed to arguo with a qualifio , veterinary surgeon; but two months' study ' would be barely sufficient to teach him his own. ignoranco. Ho would bo like tho oculist's boy. Tho oculist used to treat his customers' oyes. and, tho boy used to help with somo small acts. After a while ho gained confidence, and was able to perform operations himself. But tho day came whon ho began to study at college, and to learn tho anatomy of tho. eve, and then for tho first time ho discovered the extent of his ignorance. He said, 'No.moro operating for me.' " 'l'he inspectors will not havo power to condemn cattle. A veterinary surgeon will bo oalled in. • . • ■ " I understand they aro to havo powors of somo kind, and that they will-doubtless-bo able to arrange with farmers as to the de-struction-of cattle and compensation to bo paid. -There is nmplo scope for damage to bo done. You should omploy for that , work iwno but trained men. You aro, I know, erring in ignorance. Y'ou havo a lay Itfinisto.r, and ho is no doubt guided by what scorns best to liini, but ho, also, is orring in ignorance." Gall in the Chief Veterinarian. Thero are twenty-five • lay inspectors already appointed. What would you do with tliem? .

" I would send them to look for noxious woods, or put tliem to some other work. But they should riot bo dairy inspectors. I am not speaking, of course, of the inspectors of dead meat. I have visited the freezing works, and found.the inspection of carcasses for export is splendidly carried out. But that is done by skilled veterinary surgeons." If you wcro tho!Now. Zealand Minister for Agriculture, what would you (lop "I would say to.the chief,of the veterinary staff, '.Look after this diary inspection.' ,You are looking after tho dead meat well, and if you do as good work with tho live animals I will, ho satisfied.' We would need; a lot of veterinarians. ",Yon should have fifty additional qualified vptorinarians appointed; on a now basis, top!" ... •' But -imagine (he expanse. "Wo. are only a small,".poor country, you know. "It. is tho expanse I am thinking of when I suggest a new basis. .You aro paving tho voterinary surgeons too little." Could' you .send ire out fifty qualified "vet's." at. salaries that' we would consider reasonable?! ' . "You will have to pay them more. You should make your present salaries their starting salaries, and increase up from that basis. All, inspectors of stock should have a thorough professional training, i uot'ce that a great many of your veterinarians in this country are unqualified or have no degree. Again, scientific men in office should have no politics." "Then, continued Mr. M'Callum,' after a pause, "I suppose the same lay element has crept into your inspection of milk and butter, and cheese..; You should substitute trained men at once., Iu your Health Department, what have you got at the head?" A doctor. "That is good. But are there any veterinarians in hts staff?.; No?, Then that, is.,a weakness. A Department which deals vith animal products as food should have t.Le'co-. operation of a' highly-skilled veterinary surgeon. You have •tho climate .all; in your favour.' Set -these other ' things right." .