Abstract
THE three Fison Lectures, made possible by the generosity of Messrs. Fisons, Ltd., are part of the educational programme of the Animal Health Trust and were delivered last May by Prof. L. Seekles, of the Veterinary Biochemical School, University of Utrecht. Prof. Seekles chose "Mineral Disturbances of Cattle" as the theme of his first lecture. Our food-producing animals have, he said, become physiologically artificial beings. Experiments carried out in his laboratory strongly suggest that the forced development of the cow as a milk producer causes over-activity of the pituitary gland. Discussing this idea in relation to milk fever, Prof. Seekles suggested that preventive measures against this disease should be designed to prevent over-development of the pituitary gland during pregnancy. The biochemical features of grass tetany and ‘Utrecht abnormality of milk', which results in curdling of the milk of apparently healthy cows during transportation of their milk or when it is boiled, were also discussed. The second lecture, entitled "Gastro-intestinal Autointoxication in Cattle and Horses", included a discussion of Dutch methods of treating acetonæmia. Much attention has been recently given to treatment with potassium chlorate, which may be beneficial if the liver is not seriously damaged. Lactate therapy, practised since 1942, has also given good results. The third lecture dealt with the complex subject of real and conditioned deficiencies of trace elements. Evidence has been obtained that in many cases increased motility of the intestine, due to causes independent of the amounts of trace elements in the food, such as the intake of protein and other components of rank spring grass, nematode infestations and paratuberculosis, may cause decreased absorption of trace elements. Intravenous administration of radioactive copper salts had shown that the liver plays an important part in the accumulation of copper. No relation between grass tetany of Dutch cattle and the intake of manganese could be obtained, but significant differences between the manganese content of grass from different soils were noted, the more alkaline soils containing the least manganese.
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Cattle Health and Milk Production. Nature 161, 1005–1006 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/1611005d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1611005d0