FIRST SEVERE LIVER DAMAGE DONE AT MANUTUKE: TOXIC GRASS SAMPLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22940, 7 May 1949, Page 8

FIRST SEVERE LIVER DAMAGE DONE AT MANUTUKE: TOXIC GRASS SAMPLES

FACIAL ECZEMA RESEARCH

Something tangible in relation to facial eczema research may be achieved this year arising out of the pathological and chemical examinations of sheep’s organs and toxic grass sent forward recently to Wallaceville and Ruakura from the facial eczema field research station at Manutuke.

Th'c officer-in-charge at Manutuke, Mr. «T. E V. Simpson, stated today that the danger period could be considered over in the Gisborne area. No reports of fresh outbreaks had been received for some weeks. However, odd cases had been reported previously in May.

This season there have been a small number of cases on a large number of farms throughout the district, and one abnormal feature of this year’s recurrence has been the fact that facial eczema usually has been associated with a flush of feed following a dry spell. The district has had more cases than expected because the season has been wetter than usual and roughage has been available in many of the pastures on which affected sheep have been grazing. In ■ most cases the disease has been confined to slight to more serious liver damage, with a similar proportion of clinical eczema.

Irrigated Area Produces First Case

The field research station at Manutke was set up in January, 1945. to investigate the causes of facial eczema and, in the meantime, has recorded only slight liver damage, even in seasons when the outbreak was more serious in other parts of the district.

1 under the direct supervision of Mr. N. T. Clare, who had recently returned from a trip overseas, during which he visited all research stations investigating similar problems, continued Mr. Cullen. Probably no chemist in . the world had a better knowledge of the chemistry of that class of disease. Pathological investigations of the organs from diseased animals were carried out at the Wallaceville animal research station under the supervision of Mr. D. McFarlane. a highly trained pathologist appointed from the Royal Dick Veterinary College approximately two years ago. and the whole of the investigations were under the supervision of Dr. J. P. Filmer, director of the Animal Research Division. Other Departments Assist

This is the first year that Manutuke has had severe liver damage and one clinical case was produced from an area of the station that was eaten fairly bare and then irrigated to bring away the pasture in a lush condition. As far as could be ascertained by Mr. Simpson, the grass was toxic for about- three weeks to the end of March. All livers were saved and they have gone forward to Wallaceville for

microscopic examination. In addition, 1500 of 16001 b of toxic grass from pastures where liver damage occurred has been sent to Ruakura for the chemists to work on and see if they can isolate the toxin in some form or other. The results of the investigations will not be known until reports return from the animal research stations, he said.

Dr. Filmer, in turn, received considerable assistance from the Grasslands Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the meteorological office of the Air Department. Since the research station was established at Manutuke, there had. unfortunately, been a very low incidence ot facial eczema in that district and that had prevented rapid progress in the investigations. The history of the Gisborne district, however, indicated that a recurrence of the disease might be expected in the near future, and Federated Farmers could rest assured that the whole of the resources of the

Animal Research Division would be available for investigating the problems involved.

The system used provides for samples of grass prior to the toxic period being included to enable the investigators to trace the development of the toxin. Extracts from the toxic grass were fed to lambs to learn what particular component induced the condition of facial eczema. Meat and Wool Council Query Recently, the meat and wool council of Federated Farmers expressed the opinion that neither sufficient finance nor skilled personnel was being made available to investigate the cause of facial eczema, and the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. E. L. Cullen, has given a detailed account of the work being clone by his department. He said large sums of money had been spent since 1938 in investigating all aspects of the problem.

The Department of Agriculture 'in 1945 purchased 68 acres at Manutuke, in the Gisborne district, said Mr. Cullen. in his official reply. What had now been closely sub-divided and deveH oped into a research station for the express purpose of studying the disease. and had been described by prominent visiting scientists as perhaps the best-equipped station of its kind, in the world. Material collected at the station was subjected to chemical investigation at the animal research station, Ruakura,

As a result of its investigations and field observations, the Department of Agriculture has been able to formulate recommendations for the prevention of facial eczema, concluded the Minister. Experience in the Waikato last year showed that, when those were carried out in their entirety, the disease could be completely preventedDr. Filmer would be prepared to attend a meeting of the council, Mr. Cullen said, and discuss the problem further, or councillors could inspect the Manutuke station and discuss the problem there.