FIGHTING DISTEMPER.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 22 (Supplement)

FIGHTING DISTEMPER.

EXPERIMENTS IN ENGLAND. One of the most interesting series of experiments and research into diseases of animals carried on in recent j years, is that instituted by the Field, ■ and made possible by Ihe Field Disi temper Fund, contributed by dog lovers in all parls of the world. Tin's fund, which amounts to £17,000, lias enabled a great amount of valuable , work to be done and has been rendered doubly effective and economical by the hearty co-opornlion of tlie P.rilj ish Medical Research Council, which 1 not only provided much valuable scientific assistance, but lent part of i their farm premises for the erection of kennels and hospital. I The results obtained so Tar go to show that distemper in (logs is not due to ordinary bacteria such as was | commonly supposed, but to a virus so i fine that'it will pass through a porce- | lain filter. This renders the dissemI ination dr the disease, extremely easy 1 and prevention difficult. But the great hope for the successful combating of ihis disease lies in the fact that it lias been proved that the virus can be attenuated anil used for inoculation ! which, when perfected, is expected to I render animals immune against the : disease. It is believed that this suoj cess is well within the reach of the experimenters, and a call has been j made on dog lovers throughout the | world for funds to complete the work already carried so far. and contributions may bo sent to the Field, or to the secretary, Windsor House, London.