DAIRY COWS' DISEASES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10065, 5 February 1909, Page 4

DAIRY COWS' DISEASES.

(Feb Pkess Association.) Palmerston North, February 4. The Manawatn Times publishes facts connected with the spread of contagious mammitis which show that the position will have to be very seriously considered. An instance is given of one farmer near Palmerston having 40 out of 90 cows affected, thus losing £4OO oa his profit this season, as well as putting nearly half bis herd permanently out of use as milkers. .Mr Gilchrist first drew attention to the danger five years ago, and reported strongly upon it last year. The Manawatu Times points out that there is great danger of infection from beasts purchased at sale yards. Mr Reakes, Chief Veterinarian, interviewed on the subject, said the. spread of contagious mammitis was undoubtedly a serious matter, and in their 'own interests farmers should take every precaution to prevent the introduction of the disease into their herds, or, if they be unlucky enough to already have affected cows, to prevent its spread from those to others. Milkers' hands were a common medium for the conveyance _ of contagion from cow to cow. In anything but .mild cases, and not always in those, no satisfactory curative treatment was known. The injection of a 4 per cent boracic acid solution sometimes gave good results in mild cases. Under the present conditions of legislation, if an improvement was to be brought about —and it must be pricipally on the lines of prevention—it was particularly necessary that affected animals should not be allowed to pass from the possession of one farmer to another. Captain Young, veterinarian for the Taranaki district, was also interviewed, and testified to the very dangerous hold the contagion had in the Taranaki herds.