DISEASES AMONGST CATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1922, Page 8

DISEASES AMONGST CATTLE.

HOW NEW ZEALAND IS AFFECTED. SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS. The current number of the N.Z. Farmer c< '.tains a special article by Dr. J. A. Gilruth on “Abortion Disease,” in ■which the ex-New Zealander has something to say of special interest to stock owners in the Dominion. Referring to contagious abortion, Dr. Gilruth says: “In Australia it is estimated to result in a direct animal loss to the primary producer of at least half a million. This is probably a very conservative estimate. for in Victoria alone it has been dfficially stated that the loss entailed is over £300,000 a year. ... As elsewhere, the disease has long been known in New Zealand. I have no means of estimating the seriousness or extent of abortion proper to-day, but there is every reason to believe it is far from being unimportant. Animals exported to Australia have been found months after arrival to be carriers of the infection.”

With the object of ascertaining the exact position in New Zealand, a Dominion reporter recently waited upon Mr. A. R. Young, Director of the Live Stock Division of the Agricultural Department. “We are not yet,” said Mr. Young, “in a position to give a definite statement as to whether contagious abortion amongst cattle in the Dominion is on the increase or decrease, but a scheme has been put into operation whereby inspectors of stock send in special returns to this office, stating the numbers of abortion from all causes, the breed of the animal affected, and also the period at which abortion took place. These reports will, of course, have to extend / over a full period of gestation before a definite opinion can be arrived at. Meanwhile stock owners are being encouraged to have their herds tested, with the view of ascertaining how far the contagious form of abortion is responsible.” Mr. Young went on to refer to the report for last month from the Wall&ceville Veterinary Laboratory, which showed that 18 samples of blood had been submitted for the agglutination test. Three of these gave positive reaction, indicating the presence of the contagious abortion bacilli; one was doubtful; and 14 were negative. “Should this percentage continue,” he said, “it is a very favorable aspect indeed, as most of * the specimens sent in were taken from animals suspected of harboring the disease. One interesting point°has just come to light regarding abortion, and that is that in a district where cows are regularly dipped for the purpose of destroying cattle tick it has been found that' the trouble has decreased.”

Mr. Young said he questioned the wisdom of the recent practice of breeding cows with the sole object of obtaining the maximum butter-fat production. Half of the present ills from which dairy cows suffered were due to weakness 'of constitution. “For instance,” he said, “if you breed, for racehorses alone, you sacrifice strength for speed. If you breed for draught horses alone, you sacifice speed for strength. So it 'is with dairy cows. If you breed with the sole object of producing butter-fat, you undermine the constitution, and consequently the animal becomes more easily subject to diseases. Tt is a moot point if it would not be wiser to breed dairy cows along more natural lines, and be content with less milk and butter-fat from sounder animals.”