LEAD POISONING OF STOCK

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 770, 26 September 1922, Page 5

LEAD POISONING OF STOCK

(A. R. Young, M-R.C.VS, Director of the Live Stock * division, in the Journal of Agriculture). The poisoning of stock by lead or other off its compounds is still so very common in New Zealand —in spite of »the many warnings issued by Division—rthat we find the death rate from this cause upon the increase, instead of decreasing as might have been expected. When it is considered that exceipt in isolated cases such poisoning could have been avoided, it is necessary •:o again direct fhe attention of stockowners to this matter. The commonest form of lead-po.son-ing is by palint or red leacL portions of which h,ave been left, after painting or repairing, within*khe reach of stock, it being no uncommon sight to see as much of these materials lying abqut after a new house has been buiLt or an old one painted, or repairs effected upon farm equipment such as watering troughs, as would poison a dozen animals. Sometimes travelling stock come across a rubbish heaps where all sonts of disused tins, tinfoil, etc., are thrown and from this secure* enough lead to cause very mysterious deaths about two or thr6e days after and when \ miles away from the unsuspected source of supply. With pregnant animals abortion may result, and ithis is usually at once set down as due to contagion. * Lead poisoning may be acute or chronic. The latter form is l'arely met with in animals, except in special where the person has been absorbed in small quantities. It is the acute s£age which comes mostly under our observation and more especially where paint or red lead has been It he medium. The source of the trouble may be most difficult to determine, for. unlike many other forms of poison, fthe poisonous properties of paint or red lead are not diminished by years of exposure. Thus it might so happen and. indeed, has already frequently happened, that a farmer has been in occupation of a property for several years during which period no repairs where paint or red lead has been used have been carried out, yet lead poisoning suddenly occurs. Then it» may be discovered thajt a broken fence has, allowed the animals to gain access to an orchard or some odd corner where the (former owner had deposited disused paint vessels still containing some of the material as an easy means of disposing o€ them so that the (lives of his stock-would not be endangered. Or material which has . been soiled with. lead preparations may have been ploughed in, and again exposed in subsequent years* to hiring about a mysterious mpiLality. Symptoms: Symptoms of acute lead poisoning are as follows —The animal appears dull and listless, andf does r.c): appear to have any’ desire for food; the abdomen is tucked up. and there maty be signs of colic*, Diarrhoea is usually present, and the faeces very dark in colour. Stiffness or partial paralysis soon sets in, but the most’ prominent sign is a wildlooking staring ejfe no>t associated with any noticeable excitement. This is due to the unmistakeable condition of the retina anjdl palatial l or complete blindness and it is not uncommon to ;see the apimal walk up against an obstacle or into a ditch. • The chronic form is rarely met with in animals.. and occurs where only small quantities of the poison are available* In; such cases pregnant animals abort, emaciation takes place, and the coat is ha,rd and dry The abdomen' is tucked up. and partial or complete paralysis supervenes. The blue-black line along the gums so characteristic of lead poison. ng is developed and death is brought about by general paralysis, specially affecting the heart.

Posit-mortem appearances : Unless lead poisoning is suspected it is a ver]y simple matter tjo overlook the real cause of deafth, which otherwise could reasonably be put .down to fastro-entaritis caused by parasites. he person investigating, having elim'inatejd factors which in his opinion could not have been the cause of death, must carefully look for even tthe smallest evidence. and as lead in its poisonous forms’ is ndt readily and totally absorbed there is generally sufficient evidence ’found in fhe stomach and intestines without re_ sorting ito analysis. As already indicted, gastro-enfcepitis is usually in evidence; but in every case the kidneys should be carefully examined, as almost invariably they show a graunlated appearance. T}rer<tmenlt: Where it is suspected, that animals have partaken of paint or Other such substance a generous dose of Epsom salts should be a! once administered, The action of this agent is .twofold—it acts by expelling Uhe unabsorbed solids and also, in conjunction with the solutions ready for absorption, forms a practically harmless insoluble comFlowers of sulphur lias been recommended, as ais» limje wateo, and where recovery is slow po'assic iedile should be used.

Prevention : Deaths from lead poisoning could generally be prevented because what the stockowner usually tfqrms his bad luck is really his bad judgment.. Greater care in fhe disposal of disused vessels which have been used to hold paint or red le'ad would result in a great saving ip. stock. The points to be remembered in this connection are that paint and red leapi. articles in common use,, that both retain their poisonous properties for many years, v and that a very small quantity will cause death within two or three days ; further, that i|f irregular, small quantities only are obtainable, a chronic condition is set up, which in ’the enlcl may prove more expensive Ithan if the animal had dfied in the' early stages. It should also be borne in mind that, fortunately, one of the best remedies is one practically always available — that is, Epsonl 9a?:s.