PREVENTING STOCK DISEASE.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 306, 19 September 1929, Page 6

PREVENTING STOCK DISEASE.

* MORRINSVILLE SCHEME. Address by Mr. Burton. One of the most serious problems facing farmers to-day is uie growth of stock diseases, 'lire Morrinsville branch of the New Zealand farmers’ Union is keenly aiive to iiie position and on several occasions recently schemes aimed improving conditions have been discussed. A forward move was made on Saturday evening, when Mr. S. Burton, M.JU.C.V.S,, veterinary surgeon, of Hamilton, at the invitation of oiiicials of the branch, addressed a large artekidance of members. A scheme was put forward which is to be fully gone into by a special committee, and early action is expected. Mr. Burton said that Morrinsville, of all places, was a district where ihe services of a veterinarian were essential. There were possibly rnore scows than in any other district in

Waikato, ahd there had been > siderable amount of loss through disease. A considerable proportion of this trouble was due to iack of attention.

Mr, Burton said his .attention had more forcibly drawn to the needs of the district by reading the report of the discussion at the previous meeting of the branch, when the appointment of an expert to investigate diseases was fully gone into. He had two schemes in mind. The first was the formation of an association with 500 members, whose yearly subscription would be a guinea. The members would bevisited professionally at reduced 7 fees. The object was to have a limited area, as the long journeys he was now called upon to make were very trying. However, the disadvantage of this scheme was the fact that the clientele would be limited. A proposal which *the speaker thought more satisfactory was the appointment of a veterinarian on a salary, which would be supplied through the dairy companies by a deduction from •milk cheques. The radius would be from 30 to 35 miles, with headquarters at Morrinsville. Mr. Burton offered his services.

Details of Scheme. Elaborating the scheme, the speaker said the basis of tackling the question of stock diseases was prevention. The chief object of a veterinarian in the district would be to jhelp farmers to prevent the outbreak of disease, A course of lectures

could be given in the winter. It was considered impossible to do private practice for everyone under this system. Medicines could be made up by a Wholesale chemist and be made available at all creameries at cost price, while veterinary instruments would be on hand for borrowing when required. The veterinarian would be accessible hy telephone for three hours in the morning and at night in an advisory capacity. If any case Was a serious one it could be visited. A certain price would be .fixed Tor such visits, the amount to be paid into the fund, not to the veterinarian. Mr. Burton said the scheme was a simple one and had worked successfully elsewhere. The veterinarian would have time to experiment and find out the best principles for the prevention of disease. Mammitis.

Mr. Burton referred briefly to several of the most prevalent diseases. Referring to mammitis, he said .good results were being achieved through the use of a vaccine manufactured by a company to which he had offered his services in an advisory capacity. He had not now the time to experiment with the strength of the doses, but were the appointment made he would be in a position to endeavour to find out whether a larger dose would clear up a cow quicker than a series of small doses.

The speaker went on to say that : it was now practically impossible to ; detect mammitis by outward sympJ toms until the disease had advanced [ sufficiently to affect the milk. What : was wanted was a quick method of j detecting the presence of the germ, i Milk tests under the microscope were now necessary. Until a simple test , was discovered prevention would be a difficult matter. f

Abortion. > Touching on abortion, Mr. Burton said he was at present trying to proj cure a vaccine, but the experiments ; had not developed sufficiently to en--1 able a statement to be made. The j Government opinion was that this 1 disease was due to bang bacilli and ! that there was no preventive treat- | ment. He was very doubtful. Experij ence had demonstrated that two ; thirds or more of abortion cases ' could be cured by the use of the pink tabloid. The Government recommended the use of Condy’s crys- ' tals, which the speaker considered ■ dangerous. Care should be taken in using the tabloid solution not to pour the liquid from zinc or tin vessels. Sterility. ! Reference was made by Mr. Burton to sterility. Veterinarians had in

the past put this trouble down to vaginal catarrh. It was now found that catavrh had nothing to do with it. He had seen some hundreds of eases of sterility and in every case the neck of the womb of the cow was closed tight. He had found that by opening the organ 98 per cent, of the cows could be properly served and i brought into profit at the correct period. This state was considered by Mr. Burton to be the principal cause of sterility in Waikato, and the remedy he suggested to be the solution of the problem. Any farmer could carry out this simple operation. Milk Fever. Milk fever was another disease which was made dangerous in a large measure by neglect. Points to be considered in the treatment of this complaint were that no drench should be I used until the cow had practically ! recovered ; a cow should not be al- * lowed to lie on its side, not even for I five minutes if it could be helped. The cow would begin to swell, the 1 fluid would come from the stomach

to the lungs, and there would be no hope whatever. It should be remembered that the air pumped into the udder did no good at all. It was the pressure on the skin that counted. If the udder was not pumped high enough the operation would be useless. These points meant the difference between life and death. Mr. Burton said there was hardly any medicine he knew of that was any good in such eases. He had analysed several drenches lately, and they could be made for 2d. Farmers were paying 3s 6d and 4s for them. The advantage of a resident veterinarian was apparent in the case of milk fever, as the necessary advice and the proper appliances could be secured for practically nothing. At present it cost two or three guineas for the visit of a veterinarian. Mr. Burton concluded his general remarks by stating that sepsis could be prevented by washing out cows that had cleansed properly with a third of a pink tabloid dissolved in a bottle of water.

Questions. Mr. Carter asked whether mammitis vaccine could be used indiscriminately. Mr. Burton’s reply was in the affirmative. A small dose should first be given, to be followed by other doses as required. It was necessary to vaccinate every year. He believed an absolute cure could be effected and that this was the only cure. In reply to Mr. G. Pirrit, Mr. Burton said that after the germs of mammitis had been eradicated the tumours would remain. Nothing could cure these but nature, and it would be found that they would be absorbed in time, Vaccine should be kept on hand and used at the first sign of any inflammation in the udder. It could be used for either streptococcic or staphtoeoccic mam-

mitis, the latter form being less prevalent in Waikato. Mr. M. Davies asked why cows seemed to become affected more in the flush of the season than in the earlier part. Mr. Burton said the germs were operating all the time and the slightest chill would develop them quicker. Climatic conditions in Waikato made

it the worst-infected district. There was no particular reason why the disease should be more prevalent in the flush. Most affected cows took the disease two or three weeks after calving. The majority of cows with mammitis were affected the previous year, with the exception of heifers. Replying to Mr. M. E. Barrowclough, Mr. Burton said that vaccine, if properly sealed, would last for two years. Mr. S. Ferguson said he had great faith in the vaccine treatment. He had treated his cows three years ago and had had practically no trouble since. V Mr. G. Pirrit asked how it was possible to detect the presence of mammitis germs in dpparentlyhealthy cows. Mr. Burton : By testing the milk from each cow. That could be done with a veterinarian on the spot. Mr. Topham suggested that this could be carried out in collaboration with the herd tester. Effect of Manuring. Mr. P. S. Philpott said there had been a growing- feeling in the minds of farmers that heavy manuring was a contributing- factor to the diseases.

Mr. Burton said this had nothing to do with the majority of diseases. It certainly had increased the number of , cases of milk fever. It was impossible to introduce germs through manures. All the country was deficient in phosphates and it was essential that manuring be carried out. When it was reasoned out it would be seen that increased grasses could not produce germs. He had had experience throughout New Zealand and had found that on land where no manures had been applied for SO years the same diseases occurred as in Waikato.

Replying to another question, Mr. Burton said contagious mammitis was not hereditary. He had never found a heifer coming in and having the disease. Mammitis, he added, was just as prevalent in 1902, in proportion to the number of cows, as it was now. For 22 years he had been endeavouring to find a preventive for contagious mammitis and had found none until vaccine was introduced. He risked his reputation on this viewpoint.

Scheme Favoured. Mr. Barrowclough said Mr. Burton had been right v.hen he said that a veterinarian v.as wanted more to prevent than to cure. The speaker thought the scheme put forward was a very sound one. It was well known that losses of stock were appalling—anything up to 40 per cent. He would like to see some scheme similar to that outlined by Mr. Burton carried into effect. Mr. J. L. Faulkner suggested that the president and Mr. Burton attend the next meetings of the dairy companies and put the case before the directors. Mr. Philpott said the first question that would arise would be salary. Mr. Burton said he would have to give up the largest practice in New Zealand. A salary of £BOO would be required, with a car and running expenses provided. Mr. Topham pointed out that as there were 30,000 cows within a 10mile radius of Morrinsville the cost would be only 7d per cow. It was stated that the cost to farmers in Whakatane, where a similar scheme was in operation, was only .085 d per pound of butterfat. It would be considerably less in Morrinsville. Mr. G. Pirrit said that one eighth of a penny per pound of butterfat was only 2s 6d per cow. It would not cost anything like this. A committee consisting of Messrs. Carter, Thompson, J. W. Clark, A. Topham and G. Pirrit was set up to prepare a suitable scheme with which to approach the dairy companies, and report to an early meeting of the branch. Mr. Faulkner pointed out difficulties in arranging details of the scheme, as a number of district farmers were supplying proprietary companies. No deduction could be made from the cream cheques unless the suppliers were unanimous. The meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Burton.