8 August, 1907.] tijtli Convention, Chamber of Agrieulinre. 485 



The old saying that " health is wealth " applies to domestic animals 

 as well as man and the l:)est use to which a knowledge of veterinary science 

 can be put is the prevention of disease. As there are something like thirty 

 ■diseases of domestic animals that are directly communicable to human 

 beings to say nothing of others that injuriously affect the flesh as well 

 <is milk and its manufactured products, the importance of preventive 

 reterinarv medicine is obvious. 



What Veterinary Science is Doing for the Stock Owner. 



It may be, therefore, well to pass in review here the efforts that are 

 teing made to safeguard the stock-owners' interests as well as the public 

 health. Our first line of defence then is directed to guarding against 

 the introduction of diseased animals from oversea countries, and consists 

 -of the veterinarv inspection and quarantining of all imported animals. 

 This includes tuberculin and mallein testing and other uip-to-date methods 

 of examination before debarkation and before releasing from quarantine. 

 The second line of defence consists of a staff of stock inspectors appointed 

 under the Diseases in Stock Act, whose duty it is to deal with outbreaks 

 of disease, seeing to the destruction of diseased animals, quarantining and 

 •disinfecting premises and inspecting farms. Then there is the newly 

 appointed staff of veterinary surgeons and dairy supervisors who have 

 •charge of the health of dairv herds and who, notwithstanding the resent- 

 ment at first shown to the Dairy Supervision Act and the officers appointed 

 to administer it, are doing a great amount of good with the minimum of 

 friction. Indeed, dairymen are beginning to see the advantage of falling 

 into line and accepting the latest teaching of sanitarv science and up-to-date 

 methods. 



The inspection of fat stock markets and abattoirs is not only a safe- 

 guard against meat of diseased animals getting into consumption, but 

 affords a fairly reliable index to the number and character of the con- 

 stitutional diseases affecting our flocks and herds, and a means of tracing 

 them to their sources. The inspection of meat, rabbits and poultrv for 

 export is also' an assurance to consumers abroad that the necessarv pre- 

 cautions are being taken to keep our live stock free from disease. 



Veterinary Examination of Stallions. 



There is another matter to which I will now refer, viz., the action taken 

 by the Agricultural Department in providing for the veterinary examina- 

 tion of stallions standing for public service and giving certificates of sound- 

 ness and approval. This as well as insisting upon all prize animals at 

 subsidized shows being awarded to sound animals onlv, is a step in the 

 right direction. The examining and certifying to the soundness and suit- 

 ability of stallions for public service is a matter the importance of which 

 can only be realised fully by those who have made the soundness of 

 animals a special study. 



Twenty-five years ago unsound horses were so few and far between 

 that the question of soundness never seriously entered into the calculations 

 of breeders or purchasers of horses. The individual values were so low 

 that it was a matter of indifference whether the horses turned out sound 

 •or not. In fact so little was this regarded that I have seen ^1,200 paid for 

 a stallion that could be heard roaring at a walk. This utter disregard 

 for the first essential in horse-breeding has had most disastrous results 

 for, instead of finding unsound horses the exception as formerlv, one finds 

 they form the majoritv of those now examined. This is a matter which 



