Obituary

Steven James Tattam BVSc We are saddened to announce the death in Royal PerthHospital

recently of Dr Steven Tattam, a senior Veterinary officer with this service. He graduated BVSc from the University of Queensland in 198 1.

Steve had been located on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as Veterinary Officer in charge of the high security animal quaran- tine station. He was supervising a sentinel program prior to the implantation of embryos of the Mashona and Tuli breeds imported &om Africa. The sentinel program is a critical part of the health testing of the embryos. Steve became seriously ill, was medically evacuated from COCOS Island and underwent emergency surgery in Perth. He passed away on the morning of 15 January in hospital. He was 31 years of age. Steve had worked on a number of major import applications and

had shown a particular interest in f i and their products and zoo animals. He had also been involved in Exotic Disease Prepared- ness Planning. His colleagues have recognised the value of Steve’s service to the Department, and thme who worked with him appreciated his good humour and dedication to the task.

I would also like to acknowledge Steve’s fine work in other areas of the Department of Primary Industries and Energy, includ- ing the Bureau of Rural Resources and the Foreign Diseases Unit of the Livestock and Pastoral Division.

KA Doyle

BOOK REVIEW Mdiclne and Surgery of South American C8mdidS: L10m0, mp8C8, vkun8, Guanaco, MUrfa~f E Fowler, lowa State University Press, 1989, 391 pp $74.95 US (2121s State Ave, Ames, lowa)

In evaluating a book as unusual as this, one must fmt ask why was it written, and secondly why should it beread, for the context is as important as the contents. When our European ancestors colonised the new world they

brought with them all the familiar domestic animals of Europe. Any potential or proven domestic value of the indigenous species was ignored and their pastures taken over for sheep or cattle grazing, which we now know (with the benefit of hindsight) lowered the productivity of many regions and denuded huge tracts of fragile plant ecosystems.

However, as experience replaced prejudice, the superior per- formance of some indigenous breeds and species under certain conditions has gradually become accepted. Indian and African strains of cattle, for example, are now used worldwide to increase productivity in tropical climes, and attention is now focussing increasingly on another forgotten group of animals, the South American camelids (llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicunas). These humpless camels were fmt domesticated around 4,000

years ago by the early South Americans for their meat, wool and labour. When the Conquistadors arrived in the new world, they found a sophisticated Inca empire, whose entire culture and economy depended on the pack-carrying llama, while native cultures in other parts of the continent raised vast herds of alpacas for wool and meat or hunted guanacos and vicunas.

Only in the last 50 years has there been a gradual kindling of western inmest in these animals. The ability of these camelids to utilise harsh ternaim and produce f i i wool (from 12 microns) is without parallel; and large numbers arebeing imported into the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Until a few years ago, camelids could be imported into Australia from New Zealand only and were then restricted to zoos. However, Australian quarantine protocols now exist for their importation from the Americas, and restrictions on their use have been lifted.

For veterinarians in English-speaking countries these camelids have posed a major problem, as the limited literature on these animals has been largely published in Spanish, with very few studies published in English or German.

Murray Fowler’s book has bridged this gap magnificently. Written for the clinician familiar with bovine or equine practice, it provides the entire range of information needed.

Connnencing with chapters on basic handling, feeding, and husbandry the book continues through clinical examination, surgery and systemic medicine. Descriptions of normal anatomy and surgical approaches are supported with a radiographic atlas and excellent line drawings.

The book not only s-s existing information but high- lights some serious deficiencies in our knowledge of these animals.

In the chapter on feeding and nutrition, the author has had to rely to anextent on extrapolations fromresearchon other species.

In relation to some of the major infectious diseases of quaran- tine significance, the author had to rely on unpublished, small- scale studies, many conducted on old world camelids. In the case of foot-and-mouth disease, for example, the cited studies do not accord with equally small-scale unpublished studies in India, Egypt and Kenya. As quarantine protocols for South American camelids in Australia and other countries are currently under development, this area of uncertainty should be given high research priority by animal health authorities. The major impediment to camelid productivity, in both old and

new world camelids, is theirrelatively low weaningrate. Because of their very fme wool and the relative scarcity of South American camelids outside South America, their unit value is high. Owners who have paid several thousand dollars per head are thus anxiouS to improve reproductive success and to upgrade stock through artificial inseminatio~ and veterinarians are fre- quently asked to conduct artificial insemination or embryo transplantations. Unfortunately this area is barely addressed in the book, again reflecting the paucity of publiied information.

Veterinarians in camelid-raising countries do not have access to the research facilities, advanced training and modem equip- ment available in North America and Australasia to investigate and overcome reproductive failure in camelids. For this reason it is to be hoped that Professor Fowler, by

bringing these camelids to the attention of the English-speaking veterinary world, will stimulate the research needed to improve the productivity of these animals not only in their new lands but in South America as we&

TJ Bergin

CORRECTION

Graduates in Veterinary Science 1991 Aust Vet J 69:47

The University of Melbourne has advised that the following name should have been included on the list of graduates in Veterinary Science from that university 1991:

Aldred JE

100 Australian veterinary Joutnal, Vol 69, No 4, April 1992