“A HIDDEN MENACE.”

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1921, Page 8

“A HIDDEN MENACE.”

TUBERCULOSIS IN COWS EXPERT URGES COMPULSORY TESTING. A LEAD FROM AMERICA. “There is no doubt about it that New Zealand would be well advised in the interests of public health to adopt a procedure similar to that in vogue in America in connection with the crusade against tuberculosis,” remarked an eminent authority on veterinary matters to a Dominion representative. "In the United States the medical fraternity and the veterinary profession are unanimously of the opinion that there is a real danger, especially to children, from milk drawn from animals affected with tuberculosis, and drastic measures are being taken to protect the public in this connection. New Zealand is undoubtedly leaving too much to chance in her endeavor to combat the disease, the efforts of the authorities being on curative rather than preventive lines. “Speaking with an intimate knowledge of live stock and veterinary matters generally, I am firmly convinced that the dairy herd is the fountain-head of tuberculosis in New Zealand. A start should be macle without further delay with the compulsory testing of all cows from which the milk supply of our four large cities is drawn. This step would, of course, mean that the Government would be up against the old bugbear of compensation, for a rigorous test would at the outset involve the slaughter of many cows. The issue will, nevertheless, have to be faced, and should the Government not see its way clear to pay an additional sum by way of compensation to owners of tubercular animals the general public might well consider the question of subscribing a sum in order to augment the fund. Surely it would pay the people to subscribe to such a fund, in preference to paying by way of volun tary contributions to the upkeep of hospitals' and general sanatoria that are maintained for the purpose of curing a disease which is so capable of prevention altogether ? SUGGESTED REGULATIONS.

“Anyhow, the Government should waste no time in bringing down regulations making testing of milking herds compulsory, and compelling farmers to slaughter all animals afflicted • with tuberculosis. Likewise provision should be made for compensating owners, with, of course, the stipulation that once a milk supplier has got his cattle certified as being free from tuberculosis he is not to introduce into his herd any stock which have not passed the tuberculin test. I may say that this system is working very well in America, and there is no reason why it should not be sectionally introduced into New Zealand, To be more explicit’, the regulations should for a start be put into force at some particular centre or centres, with a view to demonstrating results and their ultimate adoption throughout the whole Dominion. “At present the testing of cows for tuberl culosis is not compulsory, and the result | is that many farmers are milking diseased cows. Too often the owners are not aware | lof the presence of tuberculosis in their ' herd, as, short of a test, they have no means • |of locating the disease in an animal. This 1 I state of affairs constitutes a hidden menace to the health of the community. ’ I “Incidentally, 1 was interested to read a | statement from the acting-secretary of the J New Zealand Alliance which appeared in a 5 receot, issue of the Dominion, suggesting •i that thp mortality reduction in the United 1 States so far ns tuberculosis is concerned t might be due to prohibition, because the I medical fraternity considers that there is lan intimate relationship between 7 culosis and alcoholic beverages. Without i wishing to enter into any controversy on •; the point, it is worthy of record that for the past three or four years America has 1 been pursuing a vigorous policy in stamping out tuberculosis in cattle, with satisfactory result#; and the authorities over there claim that a substantial reduction of deaths—especially children—film to this disease may be confidently expected,"