UDDER PLAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 433, 16 February 1909, Page 2

UDDER PLAGUE.

WHAT MAMMITIS IS DOINC. . A WEIGHTY PERIL. . These diagrams are intended to represent a certain. dairy herd of about 90 cows* Tile, white part .represents l the healthy cows ; the ■black part: represents the number of cows' whichjwero found to be diseased with mammitis.' No less than 40. cows : put of; this herd

were smitten;by that: destructive,' almost incurable, /plague.. The experienpe of ..this •unfortunate f arnier/may Dβ ; .the , experience; of many/another dairyman next week; for mammitis -is ■'getting ■;it's -clutches jupon'.. New'. Zealand.,:: If.the.value health of these 40.cows, be 'estimated at :£7, each;-then ■the ;tbtal' loss to the ; farni ( er: must be/put :at £280..;;Fr0m this .must be: deducted the. beef; valuoof the carcasses; /.for; a cow- bbwled t out , of- a. dairy, herd for mammitis is still-fit. for'-' the butcher. Usually only, herudder is .diseased,.arid'that part does not weigh in,the : '.calculations-'.of a butcher.' , , But after, all, what :is an old- dairy l cow .worth, as /beef /at -.short.' notice? /'. Probably it would no 'more than .counterbalance ; the inconvenience thedairymari would: suffer 'through losing the. use of. half his herd—half• his income. Ho would, therefore,' still stand to lose', nearly the full * , ; . , : .. .; '.

■ How, does mammitis.make a;cow useless?. . It'.does it'by-.drying up the milk, and .making her udder;,(pi - : thosei quarters that ...are;..affected), for ever unable to produce'.milk.-. It may be that 'only pne.pfvtnequarters/is .at-; tacked,.' and ;untir the ,hand;bf' the/milkeror .'some pother mediurri:. carries: the i germs. from the diseased teat to;the'prince-pf-the sound teat's.the other'three.quarters^-.of the udder may remain, in working,order. . /For mammitis apparently '.dpes' not /travel from one. quarter to another: quarter/internally,/.but only by infection from outside.': But there are so many, modes of -infection'', that /the chances: of long- immunity ara ?yory', slender. And in any.'"cose.'the.cow is.a-menace to. the herd,' and she had-better -bo;dispatched at; .once.'. The milker's: hand and: the' ground : on which, sound and unsound .teats;brush alike\whenthe cow is recumbeht.'are'.mediuriis of.'infdetion powerful enough for. /any/',' amount /.of trouble.:::.;;; ■. •'•':^.-. , .\'" -'■'V--''''..' ■ ;/.'•, ■', J If mammitis, does all /this,: and is. becoming rampant in ; r ;New."Zealand, vhow,'is. it; the .dairj'farmers.have-not found'it'.but? v 'Weir,: one; is.,not: so .sure. ..that:-.the' fact/is not already/dawning/upon/them.;./Mammitis,uri-'. fortunately,/.is; not a; malady;. that projects itself; iipon' one's; attention: It" is jnlleged:by. the' veterinarians ;tb be stealthy/'arid invisible .in:.its. attaclj;. Itgetsja: firm/hold of: the internal structures of .tho; utlderrrentrenching; itself, as it were—before .it'lets tlie ;pbpr;:unhappy .farmer 'know, that' it'»is there. "'And'. when : that knowledge, breaks: but'upon , his con- : scidnsn'ess; the.;disease has -probably -already: seeded/ itself into, otherjqows; of: the. herd. r Which.; of.'. the/other /y'cbws .'are diseased? That' question. ■is , niore.'-.vKiinpprtant to ' the owner than the;.fact bow (jas be/struck;off HisVlist of milkers.. n 'TKe dis;covexJ^£ l the .'health'(of."his/'/wnple": jnake, .the ;Very;- existence pf/ ; himself;.,'. asVa'-dairyT' farmer—suddenly /becpme'/prpblematical:-The , uiseasojwas -not-knownVto:exist. in/New. Zetf-' laiid.; tillr/five/.ye'ars ' ago':.;:io-da:y.? it;,has t'de--stroyed. (economically)'-_over, 40 :per cent., of, the,cows .of: at.least onb.herd; , :>;=.';;: ■ ■>,:/;

,'■ One .does not-wish '---to l , cause'- a scarce'among tho dairyfarmers./ .But', one: , earnestly/does ;'.esiro:■• to .impress..upon , , all dairymen the. serious need of recognising,, right now, .that this questioH''qi manimitis a weighty' one; that it is one:'td; be. vigorously/.thought over at homo, .'and ..debated atymectings; and that it is one; if;necessary;.that,,should become the subject'..of it-penal .to.'sell, for.'.any: purpose.:but .slaughter,: a cow. with '■;'• a:':suspicion. Jof >, .u.dder :; , trouble. . Meantime. dairyfarmers'.. in .whose herds there are .blind; quarters, .should'get ;'tlie"'•veterinarians ,to:tell >theni'promptly'/'if'it/is mam-' niitis>'-:-lt:js:ndt 'tuniatter:fdrconcealment. • /;. Is: it/really' so' very/prevalent? . The reply to. this- question-is ,, beguii-in the drawings to '(his articlej: and the facts relating to it, and-it/is /.continued.; by/these people:—-. ;■ ••■.. Mr.' 'Gtilruth, late;; Chief ■: Veterinarian .of New Zeajand,-' now professor of {veterinary, science/ at 'Melbburno/ /University: ;"It has spread ;vep-y. : .extensively throughout ...the country (Wew.'Zealand). . . Its spread;'l-at-'' .tribute partly;, to' carelessness on 'the part of the'..dairyfarmerjiipartly,—paradoxical'as this, may'.see'm-7-to\.the':■'dissemination_ of.:in-: formation .rendering.'owners^alive to its., ser-: iousness (and, the advisability, of: getting; rid' of Vaffcoted; cows;Vgreatly r :to '• the s absence of any;.power .for controlling it ;;-and,.-;most of all,' to' theVsaloyardas .a means '.of disposal; df diseased animals.'':;..-;Up to live years "ago its' presence'';was not:^eveii' : .Buspected'by. ■me; ,, —June is,; : i3U3.;;-^.i-::'..:'a'v^: ; : :;:;;.-- ' :• Mr,.' 3 . Duncan,:';'stockv Auckland :—'.'Contagious is also' very prevalent, .and is ,of : most:.'.serious . : consequence to farmers.:; A..clause; in the^;Act;is required .'whereby ; cows' suffering' from , .'this disease could t be.":branded , with. a. special brand, whidh: would 'deny-' then- access, to' the dairy herds."—l!)oß.,:, ;:; v.'..-..: -,' : " : ' ■■■■; :■..<■■'.- Me. Hubbard, stock;inspector,' South, Wai-: l'arapa:—"Among v;■■dairy.;.; .cows: contagious abortion and 'I mamniitfs > give-.- 'considerable ,?.::.: .:'..;■■ ■ .■:;■ ' Captain;l'oung; veterinarian-for Taranald: —Kecently' "testified to '..the •■very ■ dangerous hold f the .contagious, mammitis, had .in'the Taranaki herds: ::Some of.. fully alive to the ■ gravity-of : the > situationj' and 1 taking:what■ precautions -they .can,.-,but others: have not: yet'.' awakened to. it,■ arid meantime there is the, : danger.of.:infectioß from the- introduction'of.'infected, cows."— 1909.: -Z-rv- Vvv,-., :?' ; -^;': :> :-^">.-r'-' : \ \:i' Mr. .Beakes,. Chief'.Veterinarian .:of "New:Zealand:—'.'The spread of .'contagious-.mam-mitis is '.undoubtedly, 'a. sorious matter , for the dairyfarmer,'. and/in their .own -interests farmers should take every precaution to.'prevent: the".introduction , ,":of the' disease 'into their herds,:or if theyVbe-u'nhi'ckyenough to already have. ; affected cows,'to nrevent its 'spread from' those :to;others,'•'. It must be remembered: that the;.milkers' hands '.'are a /common', medium 1 for, the' conveyance ;uf contagion. from'.vcow/tp :cow. >. In■';anything but mild cases'"and .not .always in these, no satisfactory, curative treatment is known. The'injection.of a;-,4./per' cent.- -bofacic acid solution, as ; recommended by the. Veteririary'Uivision,;sometimes.gives good!results iii -mild cases, if carried out .properly with duo regard, to cleanliness, of but! this treatment: unfortunately; can in 'no "way bo "regarded :as a /specific. Under /present condition', of 'legislation: if, improvement : : is' to. be brought .'about,.:it;.rests principally with :the farmers'.tliemselves : .to bring it abpntj-and.; it:' must/be -principally on- the lines of 'prevention.', /It is- particularly necessary that affected; animals--'should not be allowed'to .pass/from.the "possession .of. one 'farmer,; to another."—-1009. ■,;..:./ / '■'.' HOW'-TO/ ; All attempts ,'to" find.; an/effective and' reliable cure have so -far , been, .unsuccessful, in'mjld cases (as'-.stated above),, tho,:Jjijection : under proper, antiseptic; precautions of ;a. 4 : 'pef /cent, //solution: of : boracic' acidVhas/ proved;beneficial.'■.-::This. treatment,,. however;/, of teiiv- fails'. y.Thev difiP culty of■■■"cufe\is: due:.to 'thei-fact^that /often tho. disease■ germs/:are i: 'locat?d;.iiy,;th^ , '.far. depths 'of the;:udder/ZtissUeSj/i/beyohd.-thu-reeob any antisoptia:injectiqn';'.;arid 1 -.mpre--. .over, what;;will;kili(the/germe/.will;also/kill!

the; udder./tissues,-/arid-/make the": quarters :;permahently; ; usele^ l ;:fprV. - I'his damage,:however> doesV.nbtiresult;from■; :/ 'tDe^f-;a^4 ; per/centV/JnJectjon;ofiboya , ci6V:y : '-v acid.. Wherevboracioi-aoid^has-curediinami'; :; mitis, thb, disease (has 1 probably* been all , '■'■.'■ within, the .reach of -the injected, fluid. farmers attempt/themselves, to inject; boSv ' r acicacid J ' : they:'shpuld..take the;utmost'care '-' to^tbriliso"; the' syringevty .dipping;/it ' 7 into, ;v C boiling .water.' immediately/before/ insertion, '■ The skin of tho:udder'and teatsfihould'be' : - : ■washed;twice ;daily- with Vantisepticvsolution '■■ : i during. :the:; treatment. ■.//-/■-:;:-. :.;i: ;:C . -\\-y. ■•;. Prevention, - However, offers Cth'e 7 - greatest'; ■ hold : for-good to . be,.accomplished.-ivEvery'- 1 - 'dairyman: , should.;frequently.-y examine' the '^' udders-/and; teats of his:'cows,'-,arid; in^casei ':' of any-.suspicious'•'. appearance, taking: : his 1; notice, /'he should'. regard;;.the ,cow; ; ;aswa''3; possible-centre..of;.infection.;<to^.thejiother vcows: -The right course,:.then, '.-pending'? vet '■'■'•- ' -erinary. examination, is.:to:—.:, ; ; ,.?'-'';;/:: ...i,''.:.'. '■Isolate her; '■'..'' : --.-.\\-.'. ■'■■':': ■'■■ ;" .v';"-:'-' ■ -'.' ~'-l;i : - ; Jnik : her;iast:.of;all.'---;- ■. .'■ - '■[_:■ .Wash.; the hands'immediately,afterwards?,-' in disinfectant. ;v ; v ■■■-■ ~ ; -.' .■: 'i:^-:-.:-.-:':;'--'-,'-':-' Keep her milk .separate -fronv'itnat- of tar' '£ rest, of:.the.h'erd: ': .;.■•.•'...-; r,v:: : /-"4/-/r 'v--;-: ' : Sterilise 'her; 'milk,', by; bringing • it to: boiling heat, and: then; feed ;it. .to'-pigs*o> : '""' 'calves..:; ■':■ •:/': : V..;:'"':.■/ fi-'-' ; '-- ■'■ '■ V :'-v ■ -\--'■:■■...■■ W