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PROTECTS ANIMAL HEALTH 



By K. L. BULLIS, Head, Department of Veterinary Science 



FOOD-PRODUCING animals 

 are healthier and are growing 

 faster than their forbears. The 

 day may come when they will be 

 even healthier than men because 

 researchers in veterinary science 

 have learned to adopt and adapt 

 the techniques that medical men 

 use in treating human ailments. 



The first courses in veterinary 

 science at the university were given 

 in 1867, but it was not until 1893 

 that a separate department was 

 created and the work separated 

 from other related sciences. 



Dr. Paige — a Leader 



Dr. James B. Paige, graduate of 

 the class of 1882, served as head of 

 the department until 1922. It was 

 under his leadership that buildings 

 which were to house the depart- 

 ment for more than half a century 

 were occupied in 1899. This was 

 the first time that facilities and 

 equipment for the study of animal 

 diseases were available at the uni- 

 versity, and persons were invited 

 to send in specimens of diseased 

 animals for examination. 



Instruction in veterinary science 

 was more extensive during the first 

 quarter of the present century than 

 dvuing the second, after courses in 

 histology, bacteriology, physiology, 

 and serology were transferred to 

 other departments. Today, in- 

 struction is designed for students 

 specializing in animal or poultry 

 science, wildlife, and public health. 



Demand for Service 



Research in poultry health prob- 

 lems began in the early part of the 

 century. Since then, the depart- 



ment has grown in personnel and 

 facilities, as the demands for serv- 

 ice increased and the needs for re- 

 search became more lugent. 



The income of the poultry in- 

 dustry increased from about 12 mil- 

 lion in the early Thirties to more 

 than 88 million dollars. With an 

 accompanying increase in animal 

 health problems, requests from 

 animal industries for research, 

 service, and information resvdted 

 in an increase in the university 

 veterinary research staff. There 

 were five on the professional staff 

 in 1923, and only six at the close 

 of the war. This changed rapidly 

 to 19, with a total staff of 65 later. 



From research in poultry health 

 problems a method of controlling 

 pullorum disease developed. This 

 has helped to place New England 

 in the forefront as a soinxe of 

 hatching eggs and chicks. Samples 

 of blood are now taken from ap- 

 proximately one and one-fourth 

 million chickens annually and sent 

 to the laboratory for testing. 



Diagnoses Complicated 



An accurate diagnosis is the first 

 step in setting up a program for 

 handling an outbreak of disease. 

 Because of the expansion of the 

 poultry industry, a branch of the 

 poultry diagnostic laboratory was 

 established at the Waltham Field 

 Station in 1950. Poultrymen can 

 submit birds to the laboratories in 

 either Amherst or Waltham. Lab- 

 oratory diagnoses and procedures 

 have been complicated by the in- 

 creasing prevalence of virus in- 

 fections. For instance, a respira- 

 tory nervous disorder known as 



