The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2. TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 2 December 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2. TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

On Thursday evening Mr. llilruth, Chief (iovermnent Veterinarian, delivered a lecture in New Plymouth upon tuberculosis in cattle. .Mr. (iilruth spoke with the ease and coiilidciico of a man who has a thorough grip and knowledge of his .-übject. It was, however, distressing to hear him dwelling on the alarming proportions to which tuberculosis lias spread among the dairy herds of the Dominion, and on the insullieiciicy in the numbers of inspectors to do anything like justice to the country. We hope that Mr tiilruth will succeed in awakening the activity of the Uovcrnment to the urgency of taking more ellieient steps to cope with a disease which must necessarily affect one of the chief industries of the colony. A well-known veterinarian, Mr. MacCalluni, of Edinburgh—probably Mr. (iilruth knows him—tells us that there is no doubt whatever that the milk of cows with tubercular uddciis contains the germs of the disease; and there is indelible evidence that children supplied with milk from such cows become affected with the disease. 11 is also transmitted by flesh of diseased animals used as food. This Mr. Gilruth empliasisted. Xow, though we have a law requiring dairies to be registered— certainly a step in the right direction—it is es"sential that these dairy cows should be examined periodically by a qualified veterinary inspector,' and in view of what Mr. (iilruth says as to the insufficiency of the stalf in point of numbers, we, as a community, where, as

Mr. Uilruth assures us, the percentage of tuberculous cattle is larger than the average for the Dominion, have a ri"ht to demand special attention to this scourge, ami to inquire and have made public how often the dairy herds of (lie Dominion are examined *by qualified men. We know that in Captain Vouii" we have in this neighbourhood not only an efficient officer, but one who is unwearying in his efforts to cope with this malign disease. But, we ask, in the face of llr. Gilruth's assertion, what can one or two men do in the way of carrying out an effective system of'examination'' The enemies of Taranaki—and they are not a few-will, we fear, seize upon the statement that the percentage of tuberculous cattle in Taranaki is greater than the average for the Dominion for the purpose of working us mischief. It i= well that publicity should be given to the fact that, in answer to Mr Kerr, Mr G-ilruth expressly disclaimed suggesting by that statement that Taranaki was less healthy than other parts of the Dominion. He remarked that the hWi percentage of tuberculous cattle was owing, in his judgment, to the introduction of infected cattle into the district. We venture to suggest other additional causes, in no way attributable to our climate, namely, in-and-in hrecdhi" from one strain of blood, over-breeding, and perhaps high-pressure feeding. In the past Taranaki has been cursed with a lot of. nondescript cattle, absolute rubbish, in fact, and this with the other causes' just mentioned may have contributed to the state of things on which llr. Gilruth lias animadverted. Let us hope that Mr. Gilruth's efforts and our own settlers' efforts will re-iilt in greater efforts being made by the l.'overnment, its ollicers and the public to stamp out the disease or, at any rate, keep it within bounds.