MR. REAKES RETURNS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 270, 7 August 1908, Page 3

MR. REAKES RETURNS.

A. TOUR OF EUROPE.'

TECHNICAL POINTS PICKED UP.,

-Mr. Reakes, Assistant!" Chief Veterinarian, who has been on a visit to Europe to instal an inspector of''New Zealand meat imports in London -and- learn, the la.tcst movements in his ■ profession generally, arrived i back in' Wellington by tho Maheno at noon yesterday.'- : ' Mr. Reakes's! te'cliriical investigations included, among other things,: inquiries into tho latest methods of - dealing! with tuberculosis, contagious:mammitis;'and contagious diseases affecting pigs. New Views'on Swlno Fever. , ' In'a statement to a; Dominion representative yesterday, .Mr: Reakes said:—"l found that, recent researches in _ connection with' swine fever, 'iri particular indicate that we may be compelled, ; in Now Zealand, to remodel the whole of our' bacteriological ideas concerning this disease. It is caused by a ' bacillus which- has' not' yet been isolated. I obtained some information oil- this question at thb . Pasteur. Institute' - at Paris and also a.t the Royal Veterinary! College, London. The . subject : will .be" dealt with in .'detail in my report- to. : tho .'Department." ". !' ! Fighting Tuberculosis. ' "I 'found th'at'.the'authorities in', England ■''are. devoting a,'considerably, larger amount of . attention to. this I 'disease than had been - tlio ease in. past years. ;.Thore is- a veryVnoticeablo\ movement in; the , direction 'of , ensuring, . as' far ;as ~a - pure milk supply,:; ab . any rate; to ( :the -principal centres of population.- ;I : -havefMson;.to ibelieve'';- the , Local Boardlfs .at: piresarit; giving ..tho . matter serious.'/attention.;,I:- found a ..great .dear of'work,was !bein^',done.amo'ng scientific, ■i moil; both in England., and on .the Continent, with.tho aim : of-, discovering:soma effective system of immunising animals against tuberculosis. At tho . Veterinary College . at-.: Alfort, in Paris'j Professor Vallee; showed mo a number-:of experimental animajs in which tho/.oxperimonts,, so far as they-had gone, had given most hopeful results. But a great amount of work remains still' to be done." The Town Milk. "Both in England and in -Denmark I' inspected', establishments -where milk for tho cities was ; treated to render ,it free from injurious germ's. :, In some cases tho milk was.: pasteurised after, its ' reception ,at . the factories,-, and; in others tho business was .carried' out -orivlines to ensure the utmost cleanliness-from.'the time the milk-left''tKe cows' .udders till it reached the consumers.' I, am quite aware that in many of . tho more newly-settled' "districts ' of: New Zealand it would;,be rather' premature '!to expect so high a .-.degree of excellence to be obtained at the'present time.':; But.it is '-'to"behopte'd that ithis ■ stage'. will be reached 'boforo;■long:■In. cases . 1 have; referred .to the herds -are also .examined at :short intervals- by qualified veterinary- surgeons." ■ ■ ' ■ ■:; ,Voluntarily or by law? '[By private'arrangement." - • . Did . you examine :into- instances , whero such , inspectionis compulsory.?,: -!■ Vs • ■ "It is ..compulsory': in' the ! cases ' of, several ; la rge .' centre's of. population in England.For instance,'; in . Manchester-.!>-, veterinary officer of the Corporation, w'ith his, assistants, sys--jtemi»tic^y;ffi^ine> < the city. In, addition .to .this 'examination : of / the:; cows, ' sainples ..of.'!, tho',. milk which' are ,'sentin , from .the \ outlying . dairy:, farriis, ■ where' less'coristarit! su'pej;yisjpn :ca'ri n b : e,exor-; !cfsed', . are - taken' 'on' arrival at 'Manchesteraiid subjected; to ; both bacteriolbgical:.. arid chemical bxaminatibri.V;. ;.-,/!'■ '

typfe';.Ap%Hmte'arii'. - • *;). rDo ihilk:suppliers have'to possess'a Written health certificate from ' the Corporation veterinarian?, v ... "Yes; practically: a' license." )/ . That, applies, of course, to tuberculosis?' "Oh,- yes." :■ ; ■ Does ; . the tuberculin ; test' form ; part of the examination?- .-ii; ;• • j-'flt,- is used as'an aid to diagnosis in the same wayas ■ we- advise :it 'in New Zealand. That is practically, general : all through Great Britain.;-. Entire,dairy herds-are tested when the owners desire, it,' or-when the veterinary officer _.of the - local * authority hasreason to believe that ■ tlie.)herd is very i badly. ■' infected. But: as a genoral 'rulo 'the system adopted, is' that'' of, a careful clinical examination ■ of-each Vco^ nation of dairy cows a strong- point'. is made .of a very thorough'examination of. the udder of each- cow . for. tuberculosis especially, but also for other ; udder troubles which, whilo not, : of-course,- causing tuberculosis, might have the effect of producing . .very ■ sorions troubled • 'Practically- the . same-\ system is adopted in continental countries." ■