BLACKLEG LOSSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8051, 20 February 1906, Page 2

BLACKLEG LOSSES.

IS GOVERNMENT? INOCI7LAXION DEFECTIVE : j TWO METHODS CONTRASTED. Probably at no time have the losses from the circumstances surrouuding blackleg reached so alarming a proportion as since the Government commenced taking preventative measures, especially during this season. Reports comiug to hand from all quarters indicate that move deaths are occurring after the calves have been inoculated, than at almost any previous time since the disease wa< (irsi detected in the province. Prosecuting luquirivs further, a "Daily Xews " reporter has been confronted with a number of facts that give rise to serious speculation "as to whether the principal causes of the excessive mortality are. not solely due to defective Government methods. In the course of his inquiries, our representative learned that a number of farmers in this district do their own inoculation, with eminently satisfactory results. - These farmers referred the reporter to Messrs Teed and Co., the well-known New Plymouth manufacturing chemists.from whom the " blaeklegoids " had been obtained, and the methods of inoculation learned. Messrs Teed and Co. were accordingly seen, and from them some interesting particulars, and reliable information, procured, This firm were practically the pioneers in the move incut of inoculating animals against blackleg. Towards the cud of 1903, there was a serious outbreak of the disease amongst many valuable herds in the province, and the firm, being in communication with Messrs Park Davis and Co., one of the world's leading firms of manufacturing chemists, procured a supply of vaccine in the form of "blaeklegoids," and the necessary implements etc. Mr Teed, junr., immediately commenced nioculatiug, aud, up to the timo of the Government undertaking the work themselves through the Agricultural Department, had treated some 3000 or more calves m various parts of the province. The results were successful beyond anticipations, the disease not only boing arrested in those herds in which it had made its appearance, but the deaths as the result of the treatment did not average one per cent/ To give only a few of the leading breeders who used the vaccine, may be mentioned Messrs Olsen (Inglewood), Connett Bros. (B.dl Block), Honeyfield Bros. (Tarata), Aaron Marsh (Egmont Bo.ul) and Julian (Oakura). Those aud nu nbjrs of other breeders of high-grade stock have continued to use Park Davis' preparations as instructed by Mr Teed, doing their own inoculating, ami the losses from the disease or the afler-eft'ecls uf inoculation have not averaged one per cent. One of the first experiments with innoculatiou in New Xealan 1 took place on Mr Olsen's farm at luglewood towards the end of VJY.I. Several of Mr Olsen's young p/i?.: stock died suddenly of the disease just at the time Messrs Tced's supply of vaccine arrived in the colony. The remainder of the herd, numbering some thirty-six animals, were immediately treated One, however, escaped from the yard and was not inoculated. Within a week that animal was dead, but no s:gn of blackleg has made its appearance on any of the other animals. When the Government regulations respecting inoculation were gazetted, as all fanners know, only animals that bore the Government stamp, showing they had been treated by the Stock Inspectors, were afterwards permitted to bo sold at saleyards. Consequently, the good work that was being done by Messrs Teed had to give way to the Government. As stated above, however, a number of breeders still prefer the original vaccine—the beneficial results of which they were acquainted with—to Government inoculation. These breeders, of course, cannot trade their stock at saleyards so loug as the blackleg regulations are in force. There is little or no hardship porhaps in this, as these owners practically breed only for their own use. The Department refused to allow Messrs Teed and Co. to use a brand, which could' be accepted as a guarantee of inoculation, holding that the work must ba performed by Government officials.

'• Mr Teed, juur., piiulol oat tint by ' usijjg blacklegoids, which are in the e form of little tabloids, there could be ~ no possibility of an overdose, which is • alleged by farmers to bo the e.iuse of the mortility, under the Governe ment s/dem of using vaccine |, in aolutioi. Further, if the usu.il l'ark Davis syringe was used, J' there could be no possibility of air j Kiiuiug access to the syringe, winch is alleged by the Go.'eruiient olli.dals to . be one of the califs of the mortality. I It wis also his practice lo sterilise the 1 instrument after inoculating e.ich c.ilf. I A. special preparation of his own was . used for the sterilising, and practically I no time was oscupied in tho operation. By so doing, there was no possibility ! of an infected animal transmitting the , disease per medium of the syringe to the animals subsequently treated. Usiug the tabloids one at a lime, anil sterilising the syringe after each inoculation, he was easily able to get through iWU calves iu a day. It was, therefore, not by any menus slow, although it appeared the Department thought so, as they were reported to be using fluid j vaccine iu larger syringes holding] several doses PUTRID VACCINE. A SKUIUUS ALLKGATIOX. From an authoritative source we have learned that at least one lot of blackleg vaccine manufactured at the Government laboratories is known to have gone wrong, and was almost putrid when the discovery was maile. It may possibly be that the recent mortality lias been occasioned by the use of this rotten vaccine, and that no more will 1)0 heard of the trouble so long as healthy lymph is used. It is slated that the Stock Inspectors, who in many cases perform the inoculations, not being veterinarians, arc nimble lo detect whether or not the vaccine is healthy. In support of Ibis, if is alleged that i

this putrid lymph was being used by an Inspector when one of Iho Vetcrinary Surgeons made the discovery which Icl lo ihc iinmcdialc withdrawal of al| the vaccine Manufactured up to thai time.

There are no less than nine cases of fever in the Waihi Uospilal, six of typhoid and three ol'scarlel. A proposal is on loot in Wellington to erect a memorial at l'clonc to comniemornlo the lunduig of the first settlers at Port ifieholsou iu 1840.