IODINE FOR CATTLE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1930, Page 5

IODINE FOR CATTLE

ITS VALUE IN DISEASE PREVENTION.

The importance to cattle of an adequate supply of iodine for eoun-'tcr-aoting disease was stressed l by Lieutenant-Colonel P. A. Reid at a meeting of the South Eastern Jersey dub in London.

It was immensely important thut cattle should get a proper mineral supply in their food, he said. It had (been .showin that iodine acted as a conserving force to the minerals present iu the tissues. In addition, the thyroid gland, so important in defending 'the 'body (from disease, must be fed by the introduction of iodine.

‘•All our human urban populations,” he continued, “are underiodised from the practice of boiling our vegetables, thus losing the valuable salts they contain. This same process is happening to cattle, winch are frequently not allowed to graze naturally, but are fed on concentrate.”

Three of the greatest cattle scourges to-day were “John’s disease,” mastitis (inflammation of the udder), and contagious abortion. For none of these afflictions, economically the worst with which owners had to deal, had an effective euro been devised. It was rather a hopeless picture, and the 'trouble was increasing. They all knew that prevention was better than cure, and if the preventive measure of iodine treatment were adopted they would see a distinct decline in the incidence of disease of all kinds.