TUBERCULOSIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 10

TUBERCULOSIS.

ITS PREVALENCE AMONG HERDS. DRASTIC PREVENTIVE' SUGGESTIONS. The work that was dono during the year in conncction with tuberculosis, states Mr. J. A. Gilruth, Chief Veterinarian, in his ajinual roport, wa3 of a routino character, tho application of tlio tuberculin tost, when required, being one feature. Out of 158,003 cattlo examined at slaughtering places 2031 were condemned, 3023 were partially condemned, 2774 wore found affected and passed, making the. total number affected 8-438, or a percentage of 5.34. Out of 100,731 swine oxammod, 5.89 wero affected. Cattle in certain districts of the Dominion worc'-moro extensively affected than in others. "It is now sevoral years since the Stock Act came into forco," states Mr. Gilrutli, "yet there is nothing 10 show that, tuberculosis is not now as prevalent as it was ten years ago, in spite jf tho fact that the operation of the Act as regards compulsory slaughter of animals suffering from scheduled discaso has been principally directed against tuberculosis." The gross amount of tho animals slaughtered must total up to large figures. Weakness of the System. The weakness of tho Dominion's system was that thcro was no finality about it. Viewed from a financial standpoint alone, it meant that if tho present methods bo perpetuated the .Dominion must for all time continue to pay its annual tax in order to at least prevent bovine tuberculosis becoming more widely disseminated than at present. Tho object to be aimed at was to effectively reduce tho ravages of tho disease to the lowest possible minimum in tho present state of tho scientific knowledge concerning it, and this was a matter demanding tho most serious consideration. , Ono of the most potent factors in the dissemination and porpetuation of disease was infected cows' milk. Proof of this was furnished in tho extensive amount of tubercular infection in swino fed upon tho byproducts of dairy factories. By far the greater number of tho affected animals wero purchased in dairying districts. Tho situation of the. lesions of the disease pointed conclusively to the fact that the infection must have boon contracted by. ingestion. The number of infected pigs drawn from areas where dairy farming was not a staple industry, or where tuberculosis among cattle was comparatively rare, wero almost entirely free from disease. Opportunities for postmortom examinations of calves wero far less frequent, but it was impossible to arrive at any other conclusion than that they wero similarly infected. A Disquieting Fact. After referring to tile prevalence of the discaso amongst .cattle generally, tho report goes on to disclose that for its successful suppression sterilisation of separated milk is an absolute necessity. A disquieting fact was forced upoii one that a large numbor of cows must bo producing tubercular , milk. This emphasised tho nccossity for an amendment in tho Stock Act, rendering notification of all suspicious, abnormal, or recognised diseased conditions of the udder compulsory. In this, really tho most important consideration of all, was the question of the public health as affected by the portion of tlic'milk supply which went into human consumption. "It is futile," says Mr. Gilruth, "to expend money and labour in searching out and destroying adult tubercular cattle whilo each year's crop of calves is allotted to contract infection wholesale, practifcally without let or hindrance by legislative and administrative methods." With iho exception of ono or two stations, where the disease was known to bo prevalent, by far. the greatest-percen-tage existed among dairy herds. The Remedy. ;u , As remedial moasures ; Mr. Gilruth suggests to tho Hon. tho Minister, a systematic and periodic examination of all dairy cows, including a careful manual examination of tho udder of each cow; the application, of tho-tubcrculic teat to all cows'in "which"'tiio clinical indications whilo suspicious arc not sufficient to enable a positive, decision to bo arrived at; compulsory notification of all abnormal conditions of tho,udder; prohibition of tho sale of any cow sliowing any abnormal condition of th'o udder, unless the animal is passed by a qualified veterinarian as free fron: tuberculosis or other scheduled disease, and certified to-accordingly. Portions of theso recommendations, says Mr. Gilruth, Wore'made ' in'lß99;