FACIAL ECZEMA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3251, 12 April 1943, Page 4

FACIAL ECZEMA

Many farmers, recalling ■ the weather conditions that obtained some years ago when a fairly long spell of dry weather was followed by a good fall of rain and a lush growth of grass, have been concerned lest somewhat similar*conditions should have a like result and facial eczema make its appearance among the stock. There is a hope that the colder weather will have a beneficial effect, but the position, during the next week or two will be carefully watched. Reports have reached the Animal Research Station at Ruakura, in the Waikato, that there have been outbreaks of the trouble, but the only one described as fairly serious was at Galatea. They could not have been due to rank feed. z Experimental work is proceeding at Ruakura with various control measures and groups of lambs are to be placed in paddocks with different stages of growth of feed in an effort to locate any definite toxic grass and establish if there is any stage of the lush growth that is particularly dangerous. The last serious outbreak resulted in many theories being advanced as to the cause and the treatment, and although no one wants the opportunity to test these ideas it can be taken for granted that many men will follow the course they considered most practical in order to avoid nnqs’hility of an outbreak of the disease.