The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-09-23
NO TUBERCULOSIS
Found Saturday In Major wlnsIow's
Herd at Falmouth.

On the 9th day of May last, Mr.. Winslow
of Falmouth, came to the city and reported
to DR.. Charles ID. Smith and DR.. George d.
Bailey, the State cattle commissioner, that
some OF the animals of his milk herd were
sick with what he thought was tuberculosis
He brought In some of the diseased tissues OF
a.cow which he had killed, which DR.. Smith
examined and pronounced filled with tu6er-
cnlar bacili DR.. Bailey and Mr.. w. W.
Harris Of the board Of commissioners went
out to Mr. Winslow's on the 2Sth and exam
ined the lungs and tissues Of the animal
which had been killed. DR.. Bailey was sat-
isded that the trouble was not contagious
tuberculosis, but comparatively harmless
parasitic trouble to which all living Great
ures are more or less subject. Mr. Harri
agreed with DR.. Bailey but Mr.. Winslow was
not satisfied, and accordingly another COW
was killed. The condition Of this animal
satisfied DR.. Bailey that his first diagnosis
was correct and he declined to condemn the
heard as infected.
After further examination DIR. Smith
changed his mind and agreed with DR.. Bail
ey that the trouble was not tuberculosis but
a parasitic affection that was not contagious,
although harmful to milk animals. Mr..
Winslow. still unconvinced, appealed to
Mr.. Beal, the chairman of the cattle COM
missioners, to override the other two mem
bers and to destroy the herd. Mr.. Beal, af-
ter hearing DR.. Bailey's statement Of the
case. declined to do so, and so far as the
Maine cattle commissioners were concerned
the case was closed.
Mr. Winslow, however, was still unc0n-
vinced and at his request. DR.. Winchester,
the State veterinarian of Massachusetts,,
came to Falmouth, and killing another cow,
made post mortem examination, declaring
as the result that the animal was affected
with both pulmonary and articular tubercu-
| losis As this is the most dangerous and
contagious disease that affects milk animals
their destruction was determined upon. Doc
tors Bailey and Smith declared this need
less sacrifice, and accordingly DR.. Winches
ter decided to make one more examination
before finally settling the matter. On ac-
count Of other arrangements the Doctor was
unable to come to Falmouth until last Sat-
urday when he and DR.. Brydon of Boston,
came and made preparations to slaughter
and examine another cow. Doctors Bailey,
Smith, Richardson, Huntington, Mr.. Harris,
Mr.. Winslow and butcher met in Mr.. Wins
lows barn at o'clock Saturday afternoon,
when twelve-year old COW. the worst APP
pearing of the herd was led out and knocked
on the head. The COW was native with a
dash of Jersey blood and had been in Mr..
Winslow's herd for five years. Since early
spring she had been alling and about two
| months ago beside having bad cough ard
showing other symptoms of possible tuber-
| culosis, began to go lame. DR.. Winchester
| skilfully dissected the animal, cutting off
| and preserving Emphatic glands from the
throat and elsewhere, tissue which present
ed hard, lumpy appearance, and the liver,
lungs and iutestines. These were all care
fully examined the lungs especially, and
were found to be in a very healthy condi-
ton. The punches on the tissue proved to
be festile tumors, while some Of the glands
showed white streaks and Jumps that DIR.
Winchester thought might prove under the
microscope to be tubercular bacilli With
| this exception, however, he said that he
failed to detect any signs of the dread dis
ease. The lungs were especially healthiul
In appearance, thus exploding, In that cow
at least, all suspicion of pulmonary disease.
Several Of the joints in the legs being more
or less eroded or liberated, gave rise to a
| suspicion Of articular tuberculosis. This
suspicion could not be verified, however,
without microscopical examination, If it
could then; so that so far as the post mortem
examinations that have been made show,
Doctors Bailey and Smith are right and the
Massachusetts veterinarian wrong. Further
microscopical examination, however. may
oYerturn It all.