References Mackerras. I. M. and Mackerras. H. J. (1944)-BuZl. .~ , Belschner, H. G. (1937)-Sci. Bull. Dep. Agric. N.S.W. “”* scient.

Morley, F. H. W., Donald, A. D., Donnelly, J. R., Dun, R. B. (1954)-Agric. Gaz. N.S.W. 65: 124. Axelsen, A. and Waller, P. J. (1976)-Aust. vet. J . Graham, N. P’. H., Johnstone, I. L. and Riches, J. H. 52: 325*

Norris, K. R. (1959)-Monugraphiae biol. 8: 514. Joint ~ l ~ w f l ~ Committee (pyj3)-pamph. Coun. Watts, --. J. E. and Perry, D. A. (1975)--Aust. vet. J . 51:

R e s . ~ Melb* No. lS1* No. 54.

(1947)-Aust. vet. J . 23: 31.

scient. ind. -Res. Aust. No. 37. 38b. Joint Blowfly Committee (1940&Parnph. Coun.

scient. ind. Res. Aust. No. 98. (Received for publication 29 October 1975)

BOOK REVIEW

P.A.R.R. 4*

This has nothing to do with golf, but if you are “on the ball” and have done the rounds of Clover Park and Hillgrove Station, the field research stations of Merck Sharp & Dohme, respectively at Hamilton in Western Victoria and east of Armidale in New England, New South Wales, you will know that it stands for Project of Applied Rural Research. P.A.R.R. 4 gives an account of field trials, begun in 1972, concerned with measuring rhe productivity of sheep under several systems of control of gastrointestinal nematode parasites. Initially the systems were termed suppressive, preventive, curative and salvage and referred to the intensity of anthelmintic treatment. When the outstanding superiority of suppres- sive treatment had been demonstrated in the earlier trials, a fifth regime was introduced, termed optimal and was intermediate between suppressive and preventive.

The publication presents the results in considerable detail from trials with Merino wether weaners. The data from the ewe trials and prime lamb production, and the effect of different stocking rates are noted, and will be presented in detail in later publications.

Measurements included fleece weight and quality and market value, market value of lambs and mortality. The work is an outstanding example of production trials and of the concept of diagnosis through control. There is a thorough economic examination of the productive per- formance of the sheep under the several treatment regimes and the results are presented in numerous tables and graphs. Some of the data has been presented at scientific meetings in Australia and abroad; there is one paper - Optimum Production from Parasite Control: Gross Margins in a Merino Weaner Sheep Enterprise with Different Levels of Parasite Control by Johnstone et a1 (1976) Proc. Aust. SOC. Anim. Prod. 11: 369, and another will appear in the 1976 Proceedings Book of the NSW Division of the Australian Veterinary Association.

* P.A.R.R. 4 Report from Hillgrove Station and Clover Park. Merino Wether Trials 1972-74. Merck Sharp & Dohme (Aus- tralia) Pty Ltd, Ferndell Street, South Granville, NSW.

In a more specific paper there is data on the effects of the control programs on the processing of the fleeces to tops, on the general processing qualities of the wool and on fibre strength (Lipson and Bacon-Hall, 1976, J. Wool Tech. Sheep Breed, 23: 18) .

The data presented in P.A.R.R. 4 should be carefully studied in relation to the paper by Anderson et al. 1976, A u s ~ vet. J . 52: 174, and the letters from Banks, 1976, Aust. vet. J . 52: 292 and Morris et al 1976, Aust. vet. J . 52: 293 and should be given a very thorough considera- tion by all who are concerned to carry out production trials with grazing animals, whether related to nutrition, genetics, pasture utilisation or general management. If parasitic disease is not adequately controlled, and an occasional anthelmintic treatment may not necessarily achieve this, it is almost certain that parasitic disease will be one of the big variables.

In the trials reported in P.A.R.R. 4 the anthelmintics were thiabendazole and rafoxanide; but there is a broad anthelmintic principle at stake. It is concerned with the actual and factual evaluation and efficiency of a com- pound, and while one might expect to see similar pro- duction results from other broad spectrum anthelmintics which have comparable activity and absence of toxicity, there is a dearth of data from trials similar to those recorded in P.A.R.R. 4. It would be most helpful to have the manufacturers of other anthelmintics emulate the enterprise seen at Clover Park and Hillgrove Station; an enterprise which exemplifies essential aspects of operational research, extension and public relations, and truly bears out Max Tishler’s comment that “One of the particular strengths of industry’s effort in drug therapy lies in its demonstrated capacity to translate a concept into a useful agent.” (Perspectives in Science and Medicine, 13: 528.)

Apropos of actual and factual efficiency of anthel- mintics see Gordon (1976) , Proc. 53rd Annual Confer- ence, Australian Veterinary Association: 141, and Ander- son and Dobson (1975) Aust. vet. 1. 51: 67.

H. McL. Gordon

Australian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 53, March, 1977 123