572 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [^w^. 2, 1920. 



Safeguarding Farm Stock from Disease* 



(2) By Good Hygiene. 



[Concluded from page 518.] 



MAX HENRY, M.R.C.V.S., B.V.Sc. 



The Importance of Cleanliness. 



As important as structure in connection with housing is cleanHness. 

 Faulty structure is often responsible for much uncleanliness, especially in the 

 case of pigsties and calf-pens, and it is just in connection with these two 

 animals that the heaviest losses associated with lacl: of cleanliness ai-e 

 observed. Yet the buildings in which animals are housed are frequently so 

 constructed that every impediment is put in the way of men cleaning them 

 out — even where the wish to do the work thoroughly is present. 



The commonest diseases spread or indirectly produced by lack of clean- 

 liness are diseases of horses' feet, digestive disturbances in calves and pigs, and 

 wound infections that include tetanus and malignant oedema, skin diseases, 

 and necrosis. In nearly all these diseases infection is caused by contamina- 

 tion of floors of sheds and yards by micro-organisms, and this is best illus- 

 trated in the case of calf-pens and sheep yards. Valuable as has been the 

 saving work of vaccination in connection with livestock, it would probably 

 be just to observe that cleanliness would have saved moi'e lives and reduced 

 inefficiency more than all the vaccines put together. Unfortunately, the 

 vaccine is looked on as a wonderful mystery and is a source of income to 

 many who advocate its use, whereas the advocacy of cleanliness does not help 

 anyone financially, and no one can pretend there is any mystery about it. 

 If, however, the dairy-farmer will consider the number of cases of diarrhoea, 

 dysentery and ringworm and the loss caused by them in his district, the 

 sheepowner the loss from tetanus and other wound infections, and the horse- 

 owner the amount of lameness and inefficiency caused by thrush and canker, 

 and will recollect that all these are intimately connected with lack of clean- 

 liness and sanitation, the importance of the matter may be brought home to 

 them. 



The methods required in cleansing floors and yards have been referred to 

 in various places, but one point may be stressed here — too great a reliance 

 must not be placed on disinfectants, especially where the floor is of earth. 

 For concrete floors, the scraping up and collecting of all visible dirt and a 

 thorough swilling with water followed by sweeping is the best measure ; if 

 the water is hot and .some disinfectant is added so much the better, but the 

 most essential part is the scraping and washing down. For earth floors, 

 especially in such places as sheep pens, where the dung may be a couple of 

 inches thick, disinfectant is of little use. 



