UDDER PLAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 442, 26 February 1909, Page 5

UDDER PLAGUE.

THE DEPARTMENT AND MAMMITIS.

MR. DfcEM AT AUCTION SALES

';;.Mammitis,;,'or,l.septic^:iriflammation, ; p£ tb'e destructive, but. al-. / invisible/ scourge of dairy cows—has recently "been "the subject of : some '"ratheri stringent;': suggestions; from;' 'Stock-Inspector . Deem,'e'who, ■however, jtake's a..more -.mo'3-i .:eMte; A ,yiew , ''tian;:;usuar'!.of-.-.the , , extent.-; of ithe.-'JnfecfiioiiV'-iHe 'considers .2 per cent;' of the.cows'-of .the:, Palinerston- North; district haye'/maminitis. ' Speaking ,tb"-"a reporter?.of : ,the;"Mahawatu.-.Daily Times," : he/expressed ■the , opinion that ■ mamriittjs was at: all /events' :jipt'''becoming : '.more' : prevalent; but /was,' : if> ahythmg,Joii"the- ! d&rease;' }Takiiig all the ■herds: v ofltlje'fl J almei-St6nf''distHctp-th;e 'per-' 1 'centagejj<>fi'.cows:.' sulTering -from ■ niammitis ;would .'be.^abqutri^Ywda tilis^ligureiwdiijd' .hold'.'good'.ior'the : West' Coast .Hejhad inipreparation,some'statistics bear-PE/^Rbrvtho;-'subjec<|i -whjqh 'Bhow'".that.'the ''measures the.department" >as'::.ti^ing: ? to;combat'.the--'diseas,e;:Tfere ; -at lease effectual in its increase: There. were,;; of .course,, soine herds ; ini which/ the.-peijjentage.'of.',affected,cows was as high as'lOtper/cent/' 'There-had 'been several ex-' ;ceptionally ■ severe .outbreaks: in herds ;in the Palmerston districts, but: .'the cows' .had -been.put out,to fatten and danger-from that :source:waa..;rempved.V;/;. '.:■ /-■ /;.■;:/.'/•;: banger; in the Salayards. ;ri '*■:, v > ; ;: ; 'The'rgreat. source/of/contagion, Mr.; Deem i explain«di: wasy;thV. saleyar'd, / and'. thVDepartment..was;hampered in its efforts to .cope:with".the..dis'ease by?lack/of-the 'necessary ::;:■ logislatiyew;authbrity;:/, : What' : /.was wanted ■w.ais;:..tKat i ;.!mspwtore: ;^pnld-'.ha'ife; au-. thori<^>'te:::sraee. ! 'i-:brand': , ibn'..'y6ws//aff«cted' with At■''the'.'pi'esent time the Department:;had;.p6wer to forbid the milking of/such Oa;: cow unci ..•prosecute if necessary, but of; course', when 'a'farmer that he",.was;-,milking.-in ignorance .the. inspector could;hardly; prosecute, without, "giving, a warning. '■•.'When. that warning was given the, farmer' sometimes, waited till the jhspeotor'i ; back; was /■ turned:v and ;.then '. drove; the af-fected-animal to -the' sale-yard/ and got rid ■ of.:hei;., : .' The, farmer who -..bought her /probably-, started 'milking her .in all good- faith and he' in his turn had-to be (forbidden -to milk;her,-; Thus,.:there. was ho 'end;to the trouble..which dne.:diseased'bbV'ru'ight give the , ■'■: If, the inspectors' latt ■power; to brand,; all: animati, affected they would;.become'-practically unsaleable, and if pne;;did.:happen to .'Ohange ; hands the new owner, would; know that ho milked her at the risk of ..prosecution, 'v ■.. . : .. '■: How Mri Doem Dogs Evil-Doers/ 3 </ In.'; reply .-'.-to ' a-j question as v to' what'. : the Department:i w£s ; doing •,to combat', the spread .of;:the/disease,. Mr.. Deem said that saleyard. he' .always asked, the' owners ; 6f cows affecte'd. with.-.mam-' mitis:'to renipve.'the animals, 'and they genferallyydidv so: : ' If t&eyvdid' ;npt, he;iwould stand ..beside; thei auctioneer, atfd when the 'animals'■"in , ;: question .came;' under • offer he \ would to intending buyers that they ;had .mammitis, and thus prevent a 'sale. :• ■ • ■;•':As;.' fart ; as' curative 'measures '■ were; concerhed,; Mr. . ! Dean..found^:that farmers-,had 'notVthe patience'to;-give the renedlesv"suggested ;.by. thoVDepartment a' fair v triai,..:so he: jalways;. attempted, to- get them :, ; to. adopt: the '•surest';'remedy "of all,: fatten off for kill-, ingi-: There;was'no.danger to human health', Mr. ■■•Db's'inVexplained; from .thei'-' meat 'of animals, affected•'-.except-' in extreme' cases, and then'vthe animal-.,neveri.was .worth .killing, and.died soon enough from■ natural 'causes.■;

} -It.-is ' ript-;4uite', .clea'r;'. from. Mr. Deein's l statements,'as reported, ' what - steps he would ,; take, : to ascertain, that.cows- at saleyprds have .inammitis; ..'i iContagibus . mammitis,'■; it is understood, can , be definitely diagnosed only by. bacteriological examination— by ; examining / the :discharge "of ■ ;tho iidder-under! a■ microscope: to see if it con-' tains the! mammitis* germs. v -No.doubt -Mr. Deem'takes care to- be sure of his ground, and-scptic manimitis is certainly, a plague' to; bo; vigorously- fought.",. .-■•.•;.'*;'..'.;. : : ; ; .-