HC Deb 02 July 1959 vol 608 c72W
Sir A. Bossom

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make arrangements for veterinary surgeons to deposit supplies of calcium magnesium with some responsible person or authority in districts where it was not readily available for use in cases of hypomagnesaemia in stock.

Mr. John Hare

I am not aware of any difficulty in obtaining calcined magnesite or other commercial grade of magnesium oxide from agricultural chemists and merchants. The value of these substances against hypomagnesaemia in stock is mainly as a protective addition to the daily food during the period when the trouble is most likely to occur. A veterinary surgeon should be called in as soon as symptoms suggestive of hypomagnesaemia are observed in order to make a positive diagnosis and give treatment. This usually takes the form of an injection of magnesium and, possibly, calcium compounds.