THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1913. THE BLACKLEG CASES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 125, 5 September 1913, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1913.

THE BLACKLEG CASES.

" We nothing extenuate, nor set down auaht in malice."

From the reported interview with the Chief Government Veterinarian, app.aring in another column, it will be seen that the Veterinary Department is about to institute a comprehensive system of inoculation against blackleg for the calves of this district, Blackleg is a communicable disease, chiefly affecting calves under 18 months cli. It is supposed that the germs of blackleg were originally introduced to New Zealand in the bone-dust imported from India. As this bone-dust was scattered abiut the fields so were the disease elements difsaminated. If a calf affected with blackleg dies on a "deaV' farm that farm is liable to become infected, and the feed growing about the spot where the diseased calf died is a source of peril for miny years afterwards. A case of this kind has been krown in this district, and since the farm became infected through the introduction of an ailing calf other outbreaks have afterwards occurred on the farm. It is to guird against the danger of disease introduction in this way tt'af the Department proposes to brand all calves that hava been inoculated. ih:se brands will be a certificate of cleanliness and immuniiy so far as l lickleg is concerned. In tha projected campaign there is lo be no coat to the farmer, except the time bet in taking his calves to a common cer.tre at which the vel3. will operate. Notification will be made cf the yards selected in tha different districts, and the days upon which the vets, will be in attendance. So that the farmers are asked (o put themselves to comparatively slight trouble and expense. It must not be supposed that this district is badly affected with blackleg. The position is analogous to the quite recent small-pox outbreak, In the Franklin County, Hay, many hundreds of white peuple were vaccinated during the past three mon'hs, but before the vaccinations, so far as we know, there was not a single case wh:re a European waa affected. Those measures were wholly protective, and as Mr Reakes put it to a "Times" representative the Departmental policy in respect to blackleg is the old one that "prevention is better than cure." From what we have seen of blackleg in other places we are convinced that the farmers of Franklin a~d Raglan districts would best serve their own interests by rendering every possible assistance to tha Department in its calfinoculatioa campaign.