VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 1021 



Division of veterinary science, J. A. Gilruth (New Zealand Dept. Agr. Rpt. 

 1904, l>l>- '■''--■'■'''i- pis. : I.— During the year under report considerable advance has 

 heen made in the inspection of meat fur home use and export. Statistical notes are 

 given on abattoirs in New Zealand as well as mi bacon factories and other details 

 connected with the production and distribution <>f meat products in a sanitary condi- 

 tion. A brief outline is presented of the work of the division of veterinary science 

 in the inspection of dairies and in giving lectures to stuck owners. 



A further study was made of contagious mammitis in cows. This disease appears 

 to be distributed nearly throughout New Zealand. It appears under acute, subacute, 

 and chronic forms. In chronic cases 1 or 2 hard nodules are formed within theduet 

 of the affected teat. The disease is due to a specific streptococcus. It may be pre- 

 vented to some extent by sterilization, at the factories, of the skim milk to be 

 returned to farms. The treatment recommended by the author consists of the appli- 

 cation of a 4 per cent solution of boric acid to affected parts of the udder. The 

 injection of this remedy unfortunately diminishes the secretion of milk, but if not 

 continued too Ion-- it does not prevent recovery of a nearly normal milk yield. In 

 controlling this disease the author recommends the compulsory notification of all 



cases, the registration of all dairy herds, and their periodic inspect! as well as 



sterilization or pasteurization of all milk at the factories. 



An account is also presented of contagious abortion and anthrax. Contagious abor- 

 tion is estimated as causing large annual lossesinNew Zealand. In spite of the various 

 warnings of the veterinarian regarding anthrax this disease still shows a wide dis- 

 tribution throughout the country. Experiments were undertaken to test the value 

 of lime as a disinfectant for use in combination with infected bone dust, and showed 

 that this substance has no apparent effect upon the bacteria, especially those of 

 anthrax in bone dust, even after prolonged mixture with this fertilizer. The author 

 carried out a long series of experiments in testing the effect of inoculations with vir- 

 ulent anthrax bacilli mixed with Bacillus coli communis, streptococci, and B. ente- 

 riditis. It was shown that guinea pigs, rabbits, and sheep may completely resist the 

 inoculation of large doses of virulent anthrax bacilli provided these organisms are 

 mixed with a large quantity of some other bacterial organisms which are nonpatho- 

 genic to these animals. The anthrax bacillus must be mixed with this other organ- 

 ism for, if injected separately under the skin, no resistance is brought about. 

 Mixing cultures of B. enteridilis and 11. anthracis renders the latter harmless to cattle 

 as shown by experiments on calves 6 months old. In later experiments, guinea pigs 

 di.l not -how any definite resistance to the anthrax bacillus when mixed with cul- 

 tures of /.'. nil, riil His. 



The author discusses in considerable detail blackleg, hog cholera, and hepatic 



cirrhosis due to f ling on Senecio jacoboza. Notes an- given on the symptoms and 



etiology of blackleg and also on the prevalence of the disease as shown by its occur- 

 rence under normal conditions and when controlled by vaccination. Hog cholera 

 has not been detected in New Zealand for the past 1! years. Further experiments 

 with S. jacoba'a indicate that sheep as well as horses and cattle may 1 >ecome affected 

 by eating this plant. Sheep resist the action of the plant for a much longer period 

 than horses and cattle, but may ultimately succumb. In the execution of meat 

 inspection a number of sheep were noted with yellow meat. This condition was 

 probably due to the effects of S. jacobaa. 



Brief notes are also given on strangles, dehorning cattle, chronic localized gastritis, 

 tuberculosis in horses, tuberculosis in the skull in cattle, and various cancerous 

 growths in domesticated animals. Statistics were collected dealing with more than 

 10,000 cows which had been dehorned, and of this number 6,050 weredehorned with 

 the saw. The results were said to justify the operation since no death occurred 

 among the 10,000 animals dehorned. 



