194 SIR ARNOLD THEILER 



chemical factories at Somerset Strand are doing their 

 best to achieve that end. 



The practical results at Armoedevlakte liave been ex- 

 cellent; during 1914 about ^, of the cattle at Armoeds- 

 yjakte died fiom Lamziekte. In 1919 after cleaning the 

 farm and feeding with bone meal the mortality was 

 reduced to about 2% , and during the year 1920 not a 

 single case of Lamziekte has occurred. A number of 

 other farmers liad equally good results. 



No remedy is known which will cure animals suffering 

 from Lamziekte, nor is an antidote known for ptomaine 

 poisoning in human beings wliicli is similar in some 

 respects. 



Some farmers are clam<niring for a vaccine, but the 

 prospects are not encouraging. When an animal recovers 

 from lamzieke it is not salted, it may have a second" 

 and a third attack, and it tlien usually succumbs. Nature 

 gives no immunity against Lamziekte, and what nature 

 is unable to do man cannot hope to do, to expect that 

 would be to expect a miracle. Hope is still entertained 

 that an antitoxin ma^^ be discovered and a lot of work has 

 been done in that direction, but success has not yet been 

 achieved. 



Lamziekte is only one of tlie many jiroblems witli whicli 

 the Veterinary Department is confronted. The difticulty 

 in the past lias always been a lack of scientitic collabo 

 raters: this diiliciilty exists even yet, and it is to be 

 hoped that all these problems will be tackled and 

 eventually settled when South Africa commences the 

 training of her own Veterinarians. 



