MILK AND DISEASE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 575, 2 August 1909, Page 8

MILK AND DISEASE

r THE FICiflT AGAINST MAMMITIS. r The crusade against mammitis' among dairy ;herds in New Zealand-is becoming stronger. While the ;\ Chief:':' Government ■•.,. Veterina- ■ rian. was ; urging: before . the- Farmers' TTnioiv Conference last;' week the ', need of vigorous ■;■, steps' to . suppress \ the .disease,,. Iris-"assistants -.in: -the.. producing, idistricts have been : :emphasising the 'same -need. Farmers-also at recent meetings have shown".'- themselves; .alive to the ..urgency ol ; the/matter, and;aii ,early.;eombiried. decisive attaok.upoiivthe disease may be looked for. Referring' to tlie -question last •' week, the "Poverty Bay. Herald" -said:'. •/ ; y\ :;;;-,' ;■. "About 300. dairies; .comprising : appro'xi j niately 5000; bows,. contribute to the daily milk supply of Wellington, c Recently an examination was made of the whole of tho herds/when it was found thatno loss than 25 per cent, of the cows that wero." hitherto regarded; as healthy, were, suiforing more or less from contagious mammitis. The above information, which is 'somewhat of an alarm'Uig'.'nature, was learned by a "Herald" representative when on a visit to the Wallaceville laboratory, a few days' ago. I "Taking up a test tube, 'the laboratory assistant showed a sample of milk drawn from a cow suffering from contagious mam-' mitis,; a thick yellowish matter, more of the naturo of pus—which, in point of fact, it is —than of milk. More advanced still, it assumes a dirty- brownish tint, and" about ono quarter forms a deposit,- surmounted by a thin, pale, milky fluid.: .When such as that is yielded, the laboratory assistant explained the cow shows symptoms /.of , feverishuess and has reached an advanced stage. Taking up another tube,' it was seen to contain what to all appearances was ordinary looking milk free from contamination. Examined under a powerful ■ microscope,-' however,- numerous puscalls and chains of atreptoodcoi" wero inoicated',on. v the testing glass; I'urtlior 'argu-

meats respecting the niicmmil.y for h rC'Kiil/ir ami constant (ii.aiiiiimUim of llio piililio iiiilli supply wero mil. .raiiiiroil, Tlio (Iriiilsill)t of ;impuro liiilk, pnrlinuliirly. if ■ olifil'i'.'Xl Willi cnntagjoiiH mainmiti.s, in mtpomiililit' for l/lm dissemination of iimitii , . Hiiro Uii'imU,, on|iocially among tho cliiltlrvn of tllo toivilil of tho Dominion. ,

_'"riio whole trouble," explained mi ollininl of tho pcpartmisiifc, !'i;i tlio iiliboiioii of innro stringent rcgulntinnn. CoiitngioiiH imiliunititt, for iiislanoo, is not a Hclieduled cliiu'imu, Wo win only ndviso (lairylrtnmM'H '. wlml, tliuy should do, ami it is. for Uioin to nliunso iif their oivn sweet will ivliulhor they follow our insl.nujtioiis. AiiiinnlH , mill'oriiig from contagious innmmiti« or c(>iiliip,ioUH: nborliori should ho milked strictly iipnrt from tlio rest of tlio herd, and they should -ho prohibited from being placed ill public Hnl(!ynr,dii, Dairy regulation:!, over which'there was Btioh a fuss hujt year,-nrc iio\t,lifting framed hv tho Department, which, it, its uiideißtowlj lvill limply,i)ii.'(it tlio nitration." . ;' ' ; "Contngioiis mnniniitiH is ivory prcvalorit in tho Poverty Dny.di.striot,!' romarltod Mr; 8, Burton, - Government, Vetoriiihrian, in rosponsp to furtherin(|itirio3';■ "ju»t as it.iH.iti other districts, and tin.' pcrcciitiigo qudtiiil at Wellington (20 per cqiit.yis iproljubly W'flll within :tho , "mark locallyi; Fnrincro, howbvor, an a result of'rticeiitlochircs.'that havo:l)cori delivered ..are getting fcliejf herds;into'.a cleaner stato by following tlio nißtnictione'.that have been supplied •thorn." r.Mr.; Bnrtoii -added that it had . boon nupgestod 'that: in •: t]io schcmo.of veorgauisfttion- tho inspection "of dairies,and dairy herds would in .future como undnrtlio direct control'of'tho, Votcrniary , Dopartment; and with ; tlio issuo of tho proposed new rop-ulations tlio inspection of. the industry .would ho placed on a much inoro■ satisfactory ; looting, l, .:• , '~'■.. ■