Window Fixed to Cow’s Stomach

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 306, 17 March 1928, Page 29

Window Fixed to Cow’s Stomach

CURIOUS U.S.A. EXPERIMENT STUDYING VITAMINES Everybody knows what vitamines are. These life-maintaining food fac- , tors have now been classified into five divisions, identified as Vitamines A, j B, C, D and E. Of these, Vitamines Aj and B seem to be most important. In, fact, the sustenance of life is impossible without them. For the purpose of studying these ! anatomical mysteries, two surgeons, Dr. R. S. Amidon, of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. J. F. Shigley, of the Faculty of Pennsylvania State College, experimented with cows. They found that calves could grow to maturity and produce young on a diet free from Vitamine B. They deduced, therefore, that there must exist a source in the animal body where this important vitamine is, so to speak, manufactured. For the purpose of their experiment an operation was performed on one of the cows of the experimental group.. An opening was made through the abdominal wall into the rumen, or first compartment of the stomach. The experimenters were literally enabled to observe the digestive process through a window in the cow’s stomach, after the wound had healed, and the window fastened to the opening. It was arranged so that the window could be removed to permit the operator to get samples of food for carrying on the research work. Preliminary reports of this experiment show that cattle seem to have the power to synthetize, or manufacture, their own Vitamine B. While this is the first time such an experiment has been conducted on a cow, there is a record of several similar experiments conducted on humans. The subjects, of course, always came as the result of accident. One of the most interesting of such cases was that of F*red Vicek, a Bohemian, who accidentally drank a cupful of strong caustic soda. The burns which resulted so scarred up the esophagus, the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach, that it was impossible to pass even water into the stomach from the mouth. There was nothing to be done but make an artificial opening into the man’s stomach through the abdominal wall or death would quickly follow by starvation. Thus Vicek was equipped with a tube about three-qaurters of an inch in diameter and this tube entered his body at the waist line, piercing several inches through the walls of the stomach. When food was not actually being inserted through the tube the end was kept closed and the tube in place by means of bandages. Of course, Vicek was a fine subject and valuable contributions were made to science by the work of Dr. A. J. Carlson, at whose laboratory the man was a constant subject. After years of such artificial feeding and experimentation, he was in good health; five feet eight inches in height, he weighed one hundred and thirty-seven pounds, and despite the electric lights, tubes, small rubber balloons and other scientific paraphernalia inserted into his stomach, was well and happy. In the case of the cow with a window in her stomach, the operation seemed not to have any injurious effects. She seems to be as comfortable and contented as any normal cow could be. In fact, during the past two months she has added fi.Tty pounds to her weight.

A HEAVY-WEIGHT SHORTHORN

ENGLAND’S CHAMPION Claimed to be the tallest beast ever seen, “Big Ben,” a heavy-weight Shorthorn cross bullock, was shown at the Birmingham Christmas Fat Stock Show. He stands nearly 7ft high at the shoulder, and is reputed to have lost weight through constant showing, but still turns the scales at 27Jcwt. Ben is a quiet-eyed giant of seven years, and a pet with everyone, especially the* children, at Banbury, where he shares an orchard with a pigmy crossbred Dexter named “Little Ben.” who was brought with him to Bine-ley Hall “to make him feel more at home.” These “stable companions” were a source of great interest.

NEW CATTLE COUNTRY

BOLIVIA’S POSSIBILITIES SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND It is stated that thirty million acres of virgin and forest land await development in Bolivia, and the Bolivian Government has handed over the open-ing-up of this vast territory to a British company. On its board are many well-known public men, including Sir Martin Conway, M.P. A start has already been made with the work, and arrangements are now complete for the reception of the first British settlers early next spring. Will the agricultural development of Bolivia mean a new market for Hereford cattle? The question was discussed in an interiew by Mr. W. G. C. Britten, Secretary of the Hereford Herd Book Society (England), who has extensive experience of cattle raising in all parts of the world. “I am greatly interested to hear about Bolivia’s impending development,” said Mr. Britten, “for it will probably open up a new field for the export of Herefords. “From what I understand of the country, Herefords ought to play a big part in Bolivia’s agricultural prosperity. Hereford cattle are very popular in the neighbouring States of Argentina and Uruguay, and our shipments to Brazil are increasing every year. “This latter fact is interesting, because the Brazilian, unlike the Argentine and Uruguayan breeder, is not in a position to pay big prices for prizewinning animals; and the Bolivian breeder will be, I take it, in a very similar position.”

Where two pastures are available turn the stock in o:|I this week and the other next week rather than keep it in one field until the grass is cropped close.

It costs £ 20,000 a year to run a flrstclass pack of foxhounds. Hunting finds employment, in England, directly and indirectly, for a large number of people, including makers of clothing, saddlery, forage dealers and others.

PROFIT IN STRAW

A SUCCULENT FODDER If properly conserved, straw is a very useful fodder for stock in times of drought. Speaking at the Dubbo Agricultural Bureau Conference in Victoria, Mr. F. H. Shepherd gave particulars of his methods of conserving straw, which should be cut up as soon as possible after stripping. “When beginning to stack,” he said, “have a cask of molasses and some coarse salt, and a spare cask or halftank for dissolving the molasses and salt in water. Have a large water can with a rose, and well sprinkle every layer with the mixture as the stack is built. Incidentally, this will make the stack building an easy job, as the mixture prevents the sheaves from slipping; but, more important, it provides a palatable fodder that will readily be eaten in a bad time. If the stack is well built and topped up, and a few strips of netting put over the peak and well down the roof, and peg-ged or weighted, there will be no necessity to thatch. I have two stacks which have been up six years, and they axe as good as they were on the day they were built. Two sheaves of hay a day (three of straw or its equivalent in silage) will keep an average dry beast going.”

A. AND P. SHOW DATES Kaikohe—March 17. Rotorua—March 21. Sydney Royal, New South Wales— April 2 to 11. Southland Winter Show—May 8 to 10, or 15 to 17. Waikato Winter Show—May 29 to June 5. Otago Winter Show—Probably June 2 to June 7. Manawatu Winter Show—June 19 to 23. Hawera Winter Show—June 27 to July 4. Auckland Winter Show—July 11 to 21. Wellington Winter Show—Probably in August. Secretaries of A. and P. Associations are invited to send dates of summer and winter fixtures for insertion in these columns. Communications should be addressed to the "Agricultural Editor, THE SUN.”

“EAT MORE MEAT”

WORLD CAMPAIGN MOOTED MANY INTERESTS MOVING Why not a world-wide campaign to push the sale of meat? The question is being asked in the United States and in the Argentine, and New Zealand is concerned. Campaigns are run to convince the world why it should eat more fruit or drink more milk, and so on, for this, that, and the other. It is a reminder of the immense power of publicity. Successful business is in considerable part a matter of good advertising. To be sure, you -oust have the right article, but if you have got the right article you have got to tell the world about it, and keep on telling the world. A “splash” of publicity is not what is wanted —it is the constant stream that counts. American Approval There is no doubt that meat is the “right article.” Meat-eaters are worldwinners, and neither is there any doubt that the world should eat more meat. This matter of publicity is part of the scheme behind the suggestion of the Argentine Ambassador that an international meat congress be held. Already W. M. Jardine. Secretary of Agriculture in the United States, has expressed approval of the suggestion. “The idea as proposed to me,” Mr. Jardine said recently, “is to hold a congress to lay plans to inform the world that meat is still good to eat. We have dairy congresses, and radio congresses, and I see no reason why we should not have a meat congress. There is no harm in the proposal to fight to keep meat in its old position on the world’s market, and to tell consumers how good a juicy beefsteak really is.” It Is Remarkable It is a remarkable fact that there is practically no publicity as the business world understands it on the side of meat. it may be said that “good wine needs no bush,” but big business interests know no matter liow good your article you have got to keep on telling the world that it is good, or otherwise the world will forget about it, or if it is interested, distracted by something new. As a Chi-

cago meat paper puts it: “Wrong im- j pressions regarding meats have been created in the minds of many people, but this has been due not so much to what has been said about other foods as what has remained unsaid about meat. Dollar for dollar there are few foods that can compare with meat when food value, palatability, and digestibility are considered. The problem is not one of building a case for meat, but rather of making the facts about meat known generally.” Think It Over We read in an English paper just hand that the Empire Marketing Board is about to spend £30,000 in getting the English consumers to “drink more milk.” Does anybody know why there should not be a constant campaign to get the people of the world generally to “eat more meat”? It is a fact that meat consumption per capital within New Zealand has materially declined in recent years. It is ’ a distinct possibility that the consump- > tion of meat per head in Britain could , be increased. We know there are big possibilities of increasing the meat consumption of Europe and the East. It seems to us that expert and constant publicity on behalf of meat would bring good returns to the meat producers,