ANIMAL DISEASES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 114, 7 February 1919, Page 8

ANIMAL DISEASES

!;:. BY .DK. KEAKES. i-:':'j >. ! iC;5.v Mestrßph—Press Atsociatlon. i<^ '*■'?' ': Christchurch, February 6. ';'":';•■ --M the Science Congress to-day, l)i\ C. p.'v; ■ Ji'/Keakes, Director-General- of" the Dej>; piirtment of Agriculture, gave an address (.';,': on :tho control of transmissablo animal [i : - "diseases in jtfew Zealand. Dealing with i--v.-\bovine:,tuber<Sulosi<s, lie said that it was >: not; widely dessamioaiert in New Zea- ""'*■' land. The tuberoulin test was largely •■ ; ! tised, but principally for diagnostic pur- ', -poses, especially in dairy herds, though ~. yifcTivae still, however, supplied to fioio- [.;•;;: plete.herds on re(jiiest. A criterion of ;''.:■■: ,th'e ; -results was afforded bv the returns jjtx;: of discovered at thn time of V:..,.: slaughter of cattle under inspection; The of affected animals in each [;••'.'■•■; year between 1910 and 1918 ranged bep:r'';tween 6.62 and 7.46. As last, year the -,{;.■ -percentage ivas 7.10,"it might appear that J ,';•:•;'-vth'djdieeHse was.only being held in check, >I'. ;,l)ut;tlint was true only in a eonse. Seeing I;.--that the number of cattle in the D 0?,." ?,." 'iminion had nrogreasively increased .from [•:;;-,yi,773,326 in 1903 to 2,8<i9,'165 in 1918, and s■'■■•■;"•.that, closer settlement and improved I ... 'farriiing had brought about a closer se- ;;,;:., :greßation of the animals, which might j.; : :-:l)e looked upon as conducive to easier dis|vY: ■ eeinination of the peculiar infection, tho i;::, v ;fact;, that the percentage of. flffected v> .cattle had. not, increased might- bo re- ];;:*• Warded as proof that the work ofdiseasef/J;;'/.control, in that direction had attnir^d measure of success,■ especially m ■ : 'vt during the war tho staff had.been do-;v-j>lete4. . The present dominant position ::'■)'■> of animal husbandry in New Zealand e'mi: - ..phasised the importance of a thoro'ugh I .'..'system, of methods.of control of animal fr;; •■• disease on the part M the State. Experii' ■ ■ence'had shown "that stringent legislaf '■■.;.: tipn for the purpose of giving effect to jj"~ that could be effectively administered eo I/.; , ;.:long as.all entrusted with tho work r.clj ~ ;;ed.: : with fairness, justice nnd common ? ; ■;.. eense, and thereby secured tl'n confidence j ; : '.'of)stock'owners, without which the nb- ('.;:'.-. ject aimed at_ would be much more diffiI ' \:- •■■ cnlt:'.pf affaniinent . . '