FIGHTING DISEASE.

Feilding Star, Issue 325, 24 July 1907, Page 4

FIGHTING DISEASE.

THE ADVANCE OF SCIENCE. CANCER AND~~TUBERCULOSIS. INSPECTION OF MILK AND MEAT. MR GILRUTH INTERVIEWED. Auckland, July 22. Mr Gilruth, head of the Government Bacteriological and Veterinary Department, who returned to the colony by the Mokoia, said in the course of *n. interview before leaving for Wellington, that after seven months' travel through the Old Wx>rld he could safely say that there had been a vast advance in veterinary science' everywhere. "This, he continued, "has reference not only to the treatment of disease in animals, but also to the inspection of meat and milk. I was particularly struck with the great strides, which veterinary science has made in Australia, especially with regard to THE INSPECTION OF MILK. This is done by Government inspectors supervised by veterinarians under the control of the chief veterinary surgeon, Mr Cameron. In any suspicious case of disease in an animal, isolation is at once enforced. I visited Bombay, and here also a great advance may be noted; so muoh so. indeed, that the old veterinary scnool has proved quite inadequate for present day requirements, and a new building is being built. The inspectors are natives trained by British graduates, and the system of inspection is most complete. The Civil Veterinary Departments are advancing day by day, and compare favourably .with any others in the world. Th© inspection of meat and milk is under State control. A GREAT AUTHORITY CONSULTED. At Cairo I found that the veterinary is always on the look out for the best graduates. The Egyptian service generally is a well equipped one. There is a veterinary school for training natives and the young fellahs are proving apt scholars and useful assistants in general work. While at Cairo I made a point of conferring with Professor Looss, the greatest living authority on internal parasites, with reference _to certain hitherto undescribed piscine parasites, found in New Zealand waters. The professor gave me much valuable information on special matters connected with parasites, which will probably prove of great value, especially to farmers. FURTHER ADVANCES. I saw all the veterinary colleges in Great ' Britain, and also those in Paris and Brussels. In Great Britain there has been a steady advance. The necessity for the inspection of meat and milk has been recognised, and all the municipalities employ veterinary inspectors for that purpose. Both in London and the other chief cities the staffs have been increased. The sealed glass bottle milk system is in vogue in several centres, and is working well. In Dundee there is a humanised milk depot where children may be taken to be fed. This is what Dr. Truby King has often recommended here. Careful study is being given to contagious diseases, and in Liverpool especially a great amount of research work is going on in tropical diseases in men and animals. On the Continent veterinary surgeons are more recognised than in Great Britain. In Brussels they are building a new school costing some hundreds of thousands, which is to be fully equipped at a cost of more than £20,000. In Paris they have a large veterinary staff under the control of a special veterinary department. The inspection of meat and milk in the cities is under municipal control, while in the country it is attended to by the State. DISEASES IN CATTLE. At Alport School, Paris, I spent a considerable time with Professor Vailee, the successor to the great Mocard. He was good enough to give me full information concerning his experiments with bubo vaccine. Behring's theory was that this vaccine conferred absolute immunity against tuberculosis in cattle. It is found to consist of a weakened tuberculosis virus. This will confer immunity of a high order ,but only for a time, as shown by Vallee's experiments. Six to eight months is the limit; therefore it is practically useless from an economic point of view in fighting tuberculosis. EXPERIMENTING THOROUGHLY I may mention also that in Europe investigators do not content themselves by experimenting on one or two animals only. At the Tille Pasteur Institute I saw fifty cattle being used for this purpose, and cattle there cost five times as much as in New Zealand. Tuberculosis occupies the attention of investigators everywhere, and more evidence is continually coming forward for the necessity of controlling and exterminating this menace to human and animal life. Experiments go to show that tuberculosis is chiefly caused through swallowing microbes. Inhalation plays little or no part in it. In healthy cattle bacilli may bo dormant for months, yet bacteriology will prove that they are there. Animals harbouring bacilli may, under unfavourable circumstances of hfc, develop the 'disease later on. In other words, for months neither the body can overcome the bacilli nor can the bacilli propagate— it is a case of equilibrium. The indications are that, given any circumstance that impair their vitality, the bacilli gets ahead, and disease is established. This probably accounts for the sptoud of disease in cattle through mil* skimmed or otherwise, and it indicates the necessity of fanm-i*. keeping stock in good condition ard sterilising the skim milk. Tbe m-cuiii-mtnoation of the Royal Commission on tuberculosis, as shown by tio interim report, have already bron prblished in the colony. All obscivations support it. While in London I spent a considerable time af Smithfield Market, and the result of my observations will be embodied in a special report to the Government. With referent to general bacteriological science, I spent a considerable time in the Paris Pasteur Institute, and took every opportunity to visit the principal laboratories in Great Britain and France. I was received everywhere with th© greatest courtesy, and was given overy assistance. It was extremely pleasant to me to be known by the little original work which I have done. CANCER. As regards cancer, I was permitted to assist in experiments carried out by Professor Borrel. of the Paris Pasteur Institute, and by Drs. Bashford and Murray at the London Imperial Cancer Institute. I had taken specimens with me' from here, and discussed the best means of assisting European research from this end. Nothing definite has yet been discovered concerning the cause or cure of cancer, but a vast amount of ground work has been done. Formerly cancer was looked upon as a disease peculiar to human beings, but now it is found that all animals may be affected, even fish. With reference to the inspection and general suppl-- of milk in the colony, I prefer to say nothing at present, but my report on the subject will be published in due cou.se." —Post.