FACIAL ECZEMA

Opunake Times, 25 July 1947, Page 2

FACIAL ECZEMA

RESULTS OF RESEARCH MASSEY COLLEGE ADDRESS Since the disastrous outbreak of facial eczema in the North Is-' land in 193 d, North Island farin' ers have been exceedingly worried about the recurrence of the disease. The 500 who attended the recent sheepfarmers’ gathering at Massey College were therefore most interested in an address on this subject by Dr. I. J. Cunningham, who has been in charge of intensive investigation into the disease at Wallaceville. He was able to report little ' ogress, except that it had been determined that a toxin in grass growing rapidly after autumn rains following a hot dry summer was the cause. The research had been hampered, lie said, by the familiar difficulty that scientists seem to have in getting- nature to co-operate with a good hearty outbreak while they are at hand to study it. Grass known to contain the toxin Ims been collected, and when tire chemical, composition of‘the toxin is discovered means of management can be devised to overcome, the disease. Dr. Cunningham said that perhaps plant breeding might be the solution. He went to some lengths to distinguish between photo-sensitivity, a fairly common condition of stock in both Islands, caused bv poisons in certain plants, and facial eczema. In photo-sensitivity cases, the liver was not damaged, but in facial ezcema the liver was always damaged more or less badlv. The discussion that followed the paper" showed that farmers arc as puzzled about the disease as the scientists. Fanners reported the disease under all sorts of management conditions.