TUBERCULAR COWS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2682, 12 January 1924, Page 3

TUBERCULAR COWS

A COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. A representative conference eallerl by the North Canterbury Hospital Board this week resolved to set up a committee to report upon the question of bone and joint tuberculosis, the principal cause of which is infection through milk, from tuberculosis cows. Incidentally, the inspection of daily herds for tuberculosis was described in some detail by Dr. C. J. Reakes, DirectorGeneral of Agriculture, who defended his Department’s methods. Dr Reakes said the Department’s ‘‘systematic attrition” was doing much good. He-had noted a steady decrease in the number of badly-in-fected cows discovered in the course of inspection. He wished to got rid of the impression that New Zealand cai tie were greatly infected with tuberculosis. Dr. Telford District Health Officer said that unfortunately the people engaged in milking cows for the city milk supplies were not of a high enough level of intelligence. It was important that a cow’s body uud the milker’s bands should be kept clean. Often this was not done. One found a dairyman with dirty nails and dirty everything. The human factor of intelligence ought to be taken into account in the grunting or refusing of a dairy license.

About 30 delegates attended the conference, which was representative of local bodies in the North Canterbury Hospital Board’s district, the Canterbury division of the British Medical Association, North Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Union, the Department of Agriculture, and the Canterbury A. and P. Association.