The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-01-17
tuberculosis Mt the State Experiment
Station Farm.

The state experiment station had
something to exhibit to the dairymen
of Vermont, assembled at Burlington
last week, that was not down on the
Programmed fine herd of cattle in
about three-quarters of whose members
tuberculosis existed. The place where
TIE most perfect conditions of animal
health were reasonably expected was
in fact a pest house. Seventeen COWS,
for some of which very large sums of
money had been paid, had been con-
demned to slaughter. To the eye
of even the practiced observer, there
was no external sign of disease, but the
medical test of the existence of tuber-
culosis disclosed its presence. The
board of agriculture, which is the board
of cattle commissioners, has considered
the subject of sufficient Importance for
special bulletin. The board has in
vestigated the matter, in connection
with the state board of health, the
board of control, and the other officers
of the experiment station. The COM
missioners say:
1t is, as yet, impossible to determine
the source of the disease, and it is believed
that it has existed in the herd in an unsus-
peCted form for some time. There appears
to be no reason to criticise the management
in any way for it's presence there, and the
ot1tr 10 nd Il nt,ftt nr1
physical symptoms of their condition and
were apparently in perfect health, and the
disease could only be discovered by the use
Of the tuberculin test All of the animals
slaughtered have verified this test.
1t is believed that there is no reason, as
yet, to suppose that this disease is wide
spread in our state and dairymen should
not have any unreasonable fears in regard
to it. Careful and thorough investigation
of the disease with the best authorities in
this and other states leads to the conclusion
that it has existed for long time among
the cattle in all portions of the country, and
other states have had to meet and deal with
it in the past There is no reason to sup
pose that tuberculosis is more prevalent to.
day than for years past, only we have at
this time, through the discovery of the ac-
ton of tuberculin on infected animals, a
means of detecting this disease, and, con-
sequently, means of purifying our herds,
which is a step forward rather than an oc-
casion for regret or fear. 1t is hoped that
the dairymen of the state will take no hasty
or unwise action in consequence OF the dis
covery of this disease in our state, but that
they will surround their animals with the
best conditions of health possible and watch
carefully any indication Of the disease in
their herds, and take means to free them
selves from it when once discovered"
The commissioners are unquestion-
ably right in saying that there appears
to be no reason to criticize the manage
ment-that is to say, the present man
agement-for the presence of the dis
ease at the experiment station. If,
however, reports are true, former
management did know of the existence
of this disease in the state herd and
sought to conceal the fact. Some two
years ago, bull was found to be af-
fected, and was quietly disposed of at
night. This animal, it is now under-
stood, was in an advanced stage of tu-
berculosis, but another reason for his
taking off was reported. Competent
judges think this was the source of the
disease the existence of which has Just
been discovered after it had made its
fatal way through, practically, the en-
tire herd. The existing condition of
the disease is believed to be legacy of
the Professor Cooke management, now,
fortunately, ended
The diseased animals at the state ex.
pertinent station would have been
bought and honestly sold as entirely
healthy by probably ninety-nine farm
ers out of one hundred. Their product
as butter or beef would have gone into
the market without the challenge of
any board of health. As scores of farm
ers visiting the station last week re-
marked, If those animals are diseased,
who knows that there is healthy COW
in any of our herds?" The test APP
piled to the living animals at the ex.
pertinent station has been fully verified
by the post-mortem examinations of
those that have been killed. The tu-
Derculln test-an injection under the
skin-raises the temperature of the af-
fected animal several degrees, so that,
as the cattle commissioners say, the
dairymen of the state have in this test
the means of detecting the presence of
this insidious and fatal disease, and
they should employ it. Justice to them
selves, and decent regard for human
ity, demand that they should know that
the animals whose products they are
selling and mankind are consuming are
untainted. This matter calls for state
action that cannot be wisely neglected.
CHARLES DENNY, American minister to
China has moved into the new American