Report of the Director-General of Health / Commonwealth of Australia.

  • Australia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1962]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Director-General of Health / Commonwealth of Australia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    87/128 (page 85)
    Routine Veterinary Services: Regular dairy inspections to maintain the standard of hygiene required by the Public Health (Dairy) Regulations were undertaken during the year. High standards of hygiene have no doubt contributed considerably to the low incidence of bovine mastitis in the dairy herds within the Australian Capital Territory. Throughout the year 2,795 dairy stock were subjected to an intradermal tuberculin test. This included introductions of 18 cows and 24 calves. All cattle tested gave negative reactions. A total of 453 heifer calves were vaccinated with strain 19. With 178 of these calves the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories formulation was used in which 1 c.c. is injected subcutaneously as against the 5 c.c. dose. Periodic inspection of all piggeries both in the Australian Capital Territory and immediately adjacent to its borders within the Pastures Protection District of Braidwood was undertaken during the year as a safeguard against the introduction of Swine Fever into the Territory. Stock sales were attended and examinations made for the presence of notifiable diseases, particularly lice and ked infestations and footrot in sheep. A number of cases of eye cancer and actinomycosis was detected in cattle. These cattle were forwarded on an order for movement only to abattoirs for slaughter. Canberra Abattoir: Canberra Abattoir is managed by the Commonwealth Department of Health through the Division of Veterinary Hygiene with a veterinary officer as Superintendent. The Abattoir is operated on a solo system, under which the Department of Health supplies the facilities for the slaughter, dressing and chilling of animals for human consumption under hygienic conditions. Licences are granted to various operators to use these facilities by employing their own slaughtering staff. During the year 16 licences to slaughter at Canberra Abattoir were granted. The Commonwealth staff consists of two meat inspectors, an engine driver, a boiler attendant, a by-products foreman, a chiller attendant, a caretaker and six slaughter house labourers. This staff, except the two meat inspectors, is employed for the processing of by-products, which include meat meal, blood and bone, tallow, horns, hair, sinews and glue pieces. Six of the licensed operators employ between them a permanent staff of twenty slaughtermen and labourers as well as five meat van drivers. The remaining licensed operators either slaughter and dress animals themselves or have one of the six operators employing staff to do so under contract. Veterinary activity during the year, besides management and meat inspection supervision, included the use of abattoir facilities:— (1) To provide biological material for the National Biological Standards Laboratory, the Entomology Branch of the C.S.I.R.O. and the Australian National University, for the Departments of Micro¬ biology, Zoology, Physiology and the John Curtin School of Medical Research. (2) For the C.S.I.R.O., Division of Plant Industry to complete an investigation into fat lamb raising in the Australian Capita] Territory.