CURE FOR MAMMITIS

Shannon News, 23 January 1925, Page 1

CURE FOR MAMMITIS

NEW VACCINE TO BE TESTED. Much publicity las been given of late to an alleged, cure of mammitis, and further results are no doubt being keenly watched by many dairy farmers, Mammitis is a disease which robs the producers of the Dominion of many thousands of pounds a year, and if the remedy contains anything like the properties the promoters are claiming, it will certainly come as a great boon to the New Zealand farmers.

There stiil exists a great amount of misconception as to the true nature of mammitis. Dairy farmers are inclined to use the term for any swelling or inflammation of the udder, while as a matter of fact, mammitis is generally the result of such a swelling or inflammation. Mammitis is understood to be caused by a germ, which, although no doubt present at all times, is enabled to gain the upperhand, through the pre-dispositioning courses of a ehill, inflammation or other injuries to the quarter. The great value of the new treatment is to be found m the fact that an injection of the vaccine is supposed to render an animal immune from an attack of this disease. In other words, a cow so treated, is said to be immune from contracting mammitis, although she may have injured one or more of her quarters. Farmers who have treated hard quarters and injured teats for weeks, with the cow eventually contracting mammitis, will no doubt fully realise the value of such a remedy. Apart from immunity, however, remarkable cures are reported in many cases where the disease was actually in extistence.

A number of so called cures'have of; course, been offered to the dairy farmers at various times, every one turning out to be of very little value; It is only natural, therefore, that the' average producer is rather sceptical until the remedy has been fully proved. In this connection, it is rather strange to note, that, although the promoters claim to have made every endeavour to get. the Government to test the remedy, the authorities of the Department of Agriculture maintain that so far in spite of several efforts made, they have been unable to obtain any vaccine for this very purpose. ; Asked the other day if the Government had taken any action in regard to treatment of mammitis, the Direc-tor-General, of Agriculture (Dr. C. J. Reakes) made the following statement:—-

"With reference to the lengthy state ments published in Auckland, regarding the treatment of contagious mammitis by a vaccine prepared at Hamilton, the Department is not at preseift in a position to express any opinion as to the value of this vaccine as a preventive or curative agent. About the end of November, a specially-trained officer of the Department stationed at Hamilton, was asked to secure a supply of the vaccine, in order that thorough and exact tests of it could be made, and he has done his best to do this. But so far the vaccine has not been obtainable. However, the efforts to secure it are still being continued, and it is hoped that the tests can be> commenced at a very early date."