Abstract
THE third report of the Agricultural Research Council (London: H.M. Stationery Office. 5s. 6d.) surveys the research work aided from State sources during the period October 1935-September 1937. Besides its co-ordinating functions in respect of much of the work carried out at the various research institutes in Great Britain, and its advisory capacity as regards the Development Fund, the Council now possesses a field station of its own at Compton, Berks, where it is proposed to establish disease-free herds of cattle, pigs, etc., and to provide opportunities for experiments under scientifically controlled conditions on a larger scale than is ordinarily possible at any individual research institute. The first group of experiments with cattle will be concerned with contagious abortion and will involve the testing of various vaccines. Among other problems to be investigated are the causes of the unduly high death-rate among pigs and poultry, particular attention being paid to fowl paralysis as regards both its hereditary and its infectious aspects. A new interest of the Council was marked by the setting up of an equine research committee to deal mainly with horse diseases, a substantial aid for which is being provided by the Racecourse Betting Control Board. The review of the research work on foot-and-mouth disease recently undertaken by the Council is particularly appropriate in view of the serious outbreaks this year. The general conclusions are that in spite of the high cost and slow progress of the investigations, they should be continued in the hope that eventually measures will be found that will make possible some modification of the slaughter policy.
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The Agricultural Research Council. Nature 142, 426 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142426b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142426b0