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Inspection of Dairies and Zymotic Diseases. With Whom does the Responsibility Rest?
6
Tlze Veterinary J ou?'na!.
In one particular case I had under my care-a milk cow in a very debilitated condition. She showed all the sp ecific symptoms of the disease in its worst form. The breath was very fcetid, the fa::ces were fluid and blood-stained, the tempera ture I06·s o. This cow made a complete recovery under sodium sulphite, sodium salicylate, and tonics. A few remarks might be made with regard to the savin g properties of these drugs when administered to sucking calves affected with Foot-and-mouth Disease. \Ve have fou ndthat in cases where these m ed icines have been administered, the calves did well. In cases where no treatment was adopt ed they progressed badly, and some succumbed . Mr. Spencer, M.R.C.V.S., of vVragby, has al so used these medicines in th e treatment of sucking calves affected with thi s disease, and has had si milar success. I could cite many more instances, but the above will suffice to bring always b efore our notice the fact which few would dispute, vi z., that in the sulphites we have a potent antidote against these low forms of vegetable life, which prove such scourges t o man and beast. W e may add that almost all the antis eptics have been tried by us, and with varying success. In the treatment of Anthrax, at any rate, we have had most success with th e sulphites. In conclusion, we would draw attention to the fact that these remedies have proved of much service in S eptica:: mia and other toxic conditions of the blood, depending upon the presence of Bacteria in the blood and tissues of the animal. My late father used the sulphites in the treatment of animals affected with Cattle Plague or Rinderpest, in the last g reat outbreak in this country. INSPECTION OF DAIRIES AND ZYMOTIC DISEASES. WITH WHOM DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY REST? BY \V:\I. ALSTON EDGAR, 1\I.R.C.V.S., DA RTFORD.
A CASE reported in the L a1tcet of to-day (8th Dec.), by the medical officer of health of Gateshead-on-Tyne, is invaluable
lnspect£on o_f Da£r£es and Zy motz'c Diseases
7
evidence of the necessity for an efficient and qualifiej staff of inspectors to carry out the elaborate intentions of the C ontagious Diseases (Animals) Act. If "strict attention in the matter of detail" is necessary for success in antiseptic surgery, it is in a twofold d egree for th e s uccessful working of the above-mentioned A ct, if it is to be a weapon of any value wherewith t o suppress the extension of zymotic maladies. Dr. Green, of Gateshead, found that fourteen persons suffering from Enteric Fever were being suppli ed with milk from a certain dairy in that town. He remarks : "On visitin g the suspected dairy, I ascertain ed th e following facts-There were two byres, one adjoining the house, a nd the other at the opposite sid e of an oblong ya rd. They were joined at one end by a midden, and a privy and ashpit, the other end was open. " The byres we re ventil a t ed, but had t oo many cows in them for their size, the space for each cow being 500 cubic feet only. There were three untrapped g ullies in this yard, and a doubtful one in the byre adjoining the ho use. Th e a sh pit and the midden were unroofed, the former being drained. The milk was kept in a small scullery, the only ventilation of which was by a small window looking into the yard at a point twenty-six feet from the ashpit and ten feet from an untrapped drain." This deplorable place had actually been registered under the " Dairies Order." Within the house a child was suffering from Enteric Fever (although it appeared that the family medical attendant and a consultant could not ag ree in their diagnosis ; the former saying it was Enteric Fever, the latter only pulmonary congestion). Dr. Green continues : -" The mother of the child; who nursed him, frequently milked the cows and washed the dairy utensils. The milk was kept in the previously-mentioned scullery in the house. . . • The sale of the milk was immediately stopped by an order from the Town Clerk, and the place has not been used as a dairy since, and will not be re-registered until such sanitary improvements as are considered necessary by the boroug!t surveyor a nd my self are carried out." (The italics are mine.) A further short quotation is necessary:-" 6. The feebleness of
The Veterinary J ournal.
8
the Dairy and Cowsheds Order to deal with such a case. I had to assum e powers far greater than the Order gives to stop the sale of milk." I mu st now contend for the ample provision in the said " Order" to have P R EVE NTED the whole of the mischief mentioned, had it b een strictly ca rried out ; the "feebleness" is not in the "Order " itself, but with the agents who administer it. Who would expect the most perfect and expensive chronometer to act efficiently if one simple cog were missing ? It would be interesting t o the profession, and possibly to the Privy Council, to know by whom these wretched sheds were inspected before being 1'egistered, and by whom they were p eriodically inspected in conformity with the Act. E vidently sanitary science was quite a secondary study with the individual. It may be hoped, consid erin g the g reat absorptive power of milk, that the selection of the scullery as a milk-store is unique in the history of dairy farming. In this district (and I doubt not in many others) the periodical inspection of dairies, etc., is ca rried out by a police-officer and an ex-policeman. It is well known to cow-keepers that such individuals are quite ignorant of symptoms of disease, and they find it by no means difficult, if so inclined, to evade the law. This applies especially to outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease amongst dairy stock. H ere th e only safeg uard would be that the inspector should see the milk drawn from the cows and boiled or destroyed. If the Dairies and Cowsheds Order is law, and efficient law, it should be carried out literally, and not left t o the discretion of police-officers, or even borou g h surveyors.
GLANDERS APPARENTLY CURED. BY S. GILLE SPI E,
~I.R. C.V. S ., A R~IY
VETERINARY DEPARTMENT,
I NDIA.
question in the Journal of September induces me to give the following case, which occurred in the practice of the late Mr. Robert Prentice, of Longford. MR. M EYRICK'S
Tlze Veterinary J ou?'na!.
In one particular case I had under my care-a milk cow in a very debilitated condition. She showed all the sp ecific symptoms of the disease in its worst form. The breath was very fcetid, the fa::ces were fluid and blood-stained, the tempera ture I06·s o. This cow made a complete recovery under sodium sulphite, sodium salicylate, and tonics. A few remarks might be made with regard to the savin g properties of these drugs when administered to sucking calves affected with Foot-and-mouth Disease. \Ve have fou ndthat in cases where these m ed icines have been administered, the calves did well. In cases where no treatment was adopt ed they progressed badly, and some succumbed . Mr. Spencer, M.R.C.V.S., of vVragby, has al so used these medicines in th e treatment of sucking calves affected with thi s disease, and has had si milar success. I could cite many more instances, but the above will suffice to bring always b efore our notice the fact which few would dispute, vi z., that in the sulphites we have a potent antidote against these low forms of vegetable life, which prove such scourges t o man and beast. W e may add that almost all the antis eptics have been tried by us, and with varying success. In the treatment of Anthrax, at any rate, we have had most success with th e sulphites. In conclusion, we would draw attention to the fact that these remedies have proved of much service in S eptica:: mia and other toxic conditions of the blood, depending upon the presence of Bacteria in the blood and tissues of the animal. My late father used the sulphites in the treatment of animals affected with Cattle Plague or Rinderpest, in the last g reat outbreak in this country. INSPECTION OF DAIRIES AND ZYMOTIC DISEASES. WITH WHOM DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY REST? BY \V:\I. ALSTON EDGAR, 1\I.R.C.V.S., DA RTFORD.
A CASE reported in the L a1tcet of to-day (8th Dec.), by the medical officer of health of Gateshead-on-Tyne, is invaluable
lnspect£on o_f Da£r£es and Zy motz'c Diseases
7
evidence of the necessity for an efficient and qualifiej staff of inspectors to carry out the elaborate intentions of the C ontagious Diseases (Animals) Act. If "strict attention in the matter of detail" is necessary for success in antiseptic surgery, it is in a twofold d egree for th e s uccessful working of the above-mentioned A ct, if it is to be a weapon of any value wherewith t o suppress the extension of zymotic maladies. Dr. Green, of Gateshead, found that fourteen persons suffering from Enteric Fever were being suppli ed with milk from a certain dairy in that town. He remarks : "On visitin g the suspected dairy, I ascertain ed th e following facts-There were two byres, one adjoining the house, a nd the other at the opposite sid e of an oblong ya rd. They were joined at one end by a midden, and a privy and ashpit, the other end was open. " The byres we re ventil a t ed, but had t oo many cows in them for their size, the space for each cow being 500 cubic feet only. There were three untrapped g ullies in this yard, and a doubtful one in the byre adjoining the ho use. Th e a sh pit and the midden were unroofed, the former being drained. The milk was kept in a small scullery, the only ventilation of which was by a small window looking into the yard at a point twenty-six feet from the ashpit and ten feet from an untrapped drain." This deplorable place had actually been registered under the " Dairies Order." Within the house a child was suffering from Enteric Fever (although it appeared that the family medical attendant and a consultant could not ag ree in their diagnosis ; the former saying it was Enteric Fever, the latter only pulmonary congestion). Dr. Green continues : -" The mother of the child; who nursed him, frequently milked the cows and washed the dairy utensils. The milk was kept in the previously-mentioned scullery in the house. . . • The sale of the milk was immediately stopped by an order from the Town Clerk, and the place has not been used as a dairy since, and will not be re-registered until such sanitary improvements as are considered necessary by the boroug!t surveyor a nd my self are carried out." (The italics are mine.) A further short quotation is necessary:-" 6. The feebleness of
The Veterinary J ournal.
8
the Dairy and Cowsheds Order to deal with such a case. I had to assum e powers far greater than the Order gives to stop the sale of milk." I mu st now contend for the ample provision in the said " Order" to have P R EVE NTED the whole of the mischief mentioned, had it b een strictly ca rried out ; the "feebleness" is not in the "Order " itself, but with the agents who administer it. Who would expect the most perfect and expensive chronometer to act efficiently if one simple cog were missing ? It would be interesting t o the profession, and possibly to the Privy Council, to know by whom these wretched sheds were inspected before being 1'egistered, and by whom they were p eriodically inspected in conformity with the Act. E vidently sanitary science was quite a secondary study with the individual. It may be hoped, consid erin g the g reat absorptive power of milk, that the selection of the scullery as a milk-store is unique in the history of dairy farming. In this district (and I doubt not in many others) the periodical inspection of dairies, etc., is ca rried out by a police-officer and an ex-policeman. It is well known to cow-keepers that such individuals are quite ignorant of symptoms of disease, and they find it by no means difficult, if so inclined, to evade the law. This applies especially to outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease amongst dairy stock. H ere th e only safeg uard would be that the inspector should see the milk drawn from the cows and boiled or destroyed. If the Dairies and Cowsheds Order is law, and efficient law, it should be carried out literally, and not left t o the discretion of police-officers, or even borou g h surveyors.
GLANDERS APPARENTLY CURED. BY S. GILLE SPI E,
~I.R. C.V. S ., A R~IY
VETERINARY DEPARTMENT,
I NDIA.
question in the Journal of September induces me to give the following case, which occurred in the practice of the late Mr. Robert Prentice, of Longford. MR. M EYRICK'S