PIGS AND DISEASED MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1217, 28 August 1911, Page 8

PIGS AND DISEASED MEAT.

OUTBREAK OP ANTHRAX CAUSED. Advices from Adelaide state that the Stato Minister for Agriculture has mado available tho'reports of the Acting-Chief Inspector of Stock (Jlr. T. XI. Williams) regarding the outbreak of anthrax and tuberculosis* in pigs. Ho mentioned that in the first report Mr. Williams stated that Mr; Wakeham, M.K.C'/Y.S., had telephoned' to tho Government veterinary surgeon that he had on August 1 been called to a piggery near Plyinpton, vhcie several pigs had died suddenly. Lesions found had led him to believe tho cause of death might be anthrax, and hs thought precautionary measures advisable pending bacteriological examination. This clearly pointed to the fact that they had an outbreak' of anthrax in swine to deal' with. Ho had tho piggery placed in close quarantine, and every precaution is being taken to prevent the spread of the dis? •ease. In connection with this investigation, it is interesting to note that every pig on which post-nioTtem examinations were made." in all four, at the piggery, was affected with generalised tuberculosis. Mr,. Williams remarks that "this is a very serious _ state of affairs, and I feci confident is tho result of feeding pigs on flesh and olfal of diseased animals." The owner of the piggery may bo described ns tho knacker of the metropolitan area, aiid his carts, are constantly employed carting tho flesh and offal of dead am-' mals to, his piggery, where it is boiled in tanks and fed to tho pigs. In theory this may appeal to many as an economic way of disposing of dead In practice, however, it is 1 proving disastrous to pigs fed in that way. In addition to carearses in various stages of decomposition, cows condemned for tuberculosis have been taken to the" piggery in question. ■ From what has corao under notice, it is quite evident that tho superficial way in.which the diseased flesh is cooked for tho swine does not destroy tho. bacilli of anthrax or; tuberculosis. The foregoing report was dated August 7.' Mr. Williams on August 11 wrote that tho owner had intimated that ho intended to destroy all the piis on his quarantine premises, and requested that an officer conduct post-mortems, i Thirty-four adult pigs, all large animals, wero killed, and the antppsis showed that every pig was affected with generalised tuberculosis, tho majority of cases being, very bad. A cow badly affected with actinomycosis was also •destroyed. ■ The source of tho anthrax infection at the piggery has not beeu found. , The Minister for Agriculture said there was n<> need for public alarm in connection with the outbreak, which was unique in the State, and duo entirely to the feeding of pigs on diseased meat.