IODINE FOR CATTLE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 51, 1 April 1930, Page 10

IODINE FOR CATTLE

FOR COCNTERACTING DISEASE. The importance to cattle of an adeqnate supply of iodine for counteracting disease was stressed by Lieuten-ant-Colinel P. A. Reid at a meeting of the South-Eastern Jersey Club in London. It was immensely important that cattle should get a proper mineral supply in their food, he said. It had been shown that iodine acted as a conserving force to the minerals present in tlie tissues. In addition, the thyroid gland, so important in defending the liody from disease, must he fed by the introduction of iodine. "All our human urban populations," he continued, "are under-iodised from Ihe practiee of boiling our vegetables, tlius losing the valuahle salts tliey contain. This same practice is happening to cattle, wliich are -frequently not allowed to graze naturally, but are fed on concentrates." Three of the greatest cattle scourges to-day were "John's disease," mastitis (inflammation of the udder), and contagious abortion. For none of these afflictions, economically tlie worst with which owners had to deal. had an effective cure been devised. It was ratlier a hopeless picture, and the trouble was increasing. Tliey all knew that prevention was better than cure, and if the preventive measure of iodine treatment were adopted they would see a distinct decline in the incidence of disease of all kinds. '