Prevention of Hydatids.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 57, Issue 6, 20 December 1938, Page 499

Prevention of Hydatids.

Act Operates on ist January.

A. E. Morrison,

Solicitor, Department of Agriculture.

THE Dogs Registration Amendment I Act, 1937, contains legislative provision in the direction of effecting a reduction in the prevalence of hydatid disease in the Dominion. The Act comes into force on ist January, 1 939> when local authorities are required to supply dog-owners. the prescribed quantity of the approved remedy for treating dogs. Arrangements have been completed for the Government to purchase the required amount of. the approved remedy in bulk and for its distribution to individual local authorities. By the Dogs Registration (Prevention of Hydatid Disease) Regulations 1938, which come into force on the same date, the preparation known as arecoline hydrobromide shall be the approved remedy

to be used in the treatment of dogs for hydatid disease. The remedy has been decided upon after exhaustive research by the Hydatid Research Committee of the Otago Medical School in consultation with officers of the Health Department as being the most effective drug for the purpose. Instructions as ’ to the use of the approved remedy are set out in the regulations, and a printed copy of the instructions must, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, be given to each person registering a dog. The fee payable by dog-owners in respect of the supply of •’ the approved remedy is fixed at is. per dog, except where a dog is registered for the first time after the month of July in any year.

In the latter case the fee is fixed at 6d. The prices so fixed are intended to cover the actual cost of purchasing the drug plus a small margin for administrative expenses. Copies of the regulations, which are administered by the Department of Internal Affairs, are obtainable on application to the Government Printer, Wellington, price 2d. per copy, plus postage rd., remittance with order. '

There are a number of farms with small plantings of pampas-grass in the Nelson and Takaka districts. Nowhere in the district, however, could this plant be claimed as an economic success from the point of view of its provision of supplementary fodder.