ECZEMA EPIDEMIC

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4046, 11 May 1938, Page 7

ECZEMA EPIDEMIC

ERGOT NOT THE CAUSE. STATEMENT BY EXPERT. That ergot poisoning was not a fac tor in facial eczema has been the conclusion reached by the plant diseases division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, according to a statement made a* Auckland by Dr G. H. Cunningharfr, directoi of the division. Dr Cunningham, ir company with Dr E. Marsden, secretary of the Department, last week completed a tour of the Waikato tc investigate possible lines of attack or the outbreak, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture. Ergot was produced by a fungus which attacked the seed-heads of grasses at the time of flowering, explained Dr Cunningham. The fungus replaced the seed and developed into ergot, which was so conspicuous in grasses that have been allowed to run to seed. “In the Waikato it is generally held that facial eczema occurs usually in rye-grass and white-clover pastures which have been close-grazed with stock. It docs not occur in pastures which have been allowed to run to seed. This shows that ergot poisoning cannot be a factor in the production of facial eczema. Further support is» g*ven this by the fact that ergot is 7 ' common to pasture grass throughout New Zealand, being equally prevalent in districts where facial eczema does not occur.”