TUBERCULAR COWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22262, 9 November 1935, Page 14

TUBERCULAR COWS

'•DISGRACE TO COUNTRY" SAFEGUARDING HEALTH PLAN FOR ERADICATION [by telegraph—own correspondent] 1 NAPIER. Friday " To my mind it is a disgrace to a voting country like Now Zealand that cattle tuberculosis is allowed to exist, at all," said Dr. J. Allan Berry in tho course of an address in Napier. The only effective means of eradicating tuberculosis in cows in this district, he maintained, was to establish an area where it should'bo unlawful for cattle affected bv disease to exist.

Dr. Berry said there were three classes of cows to be considered in connection with tuberculosis, namely, station'cattle, cows used ior the production of butter-fat, and cows giving milk for human consumption. He argued that farmers who stocked cows in tho first two classes should fall into line with farmers stocking the lastnamed class in regard to taking precautions against tuberculosis. Up to 30 per cent of surgical tuberculosa cases wore definitely duo to drinking defective milk.

" The only effective means of eradicating tuberculosis in cows to my mind is the establishment of an area where no tubercular cattle will bo allowed to exist," ho added. " The advantages of such an area would be groat. Apart from the protection of human life and health this idea has definite i financial and commercial possibilities. Ihe death rate among'cows affected by the disease would bo reduced to a minimum to the advantage of the farmers and furthermore there would similarly be a smaller death rate in pigs affected by the disease through drinking milk given by tubercular cows."