The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-27
USE OF Til TBERCULIN.
Maine Cattle Con Lmissioners Find 1t
Very Useful.

A Costly Fluid, Wol rth Thousand Dol
lars Pint, that is Valuable for Pur
poses of Diagnosi is.
The protest which the farmers of Mass
achusetts are maxim against the tuber-
culin tcst, row ar piled in diagnosing
tuberculosis, calls ttention to the fact
that the Maine CT little Commissioners
have been using I'll lberculln for about
six months, with ex cellent results.
The tuberculin ties is the result OF the
investi cations of he famous German
professor, Koch, who endeayored TO ap-
ply the lymph which he procured to the
cure of tn berculosis in human patients.
This lymph, called I'll 1berculin, is made
from the pus which ZONES from the cav
titles of lungs affected by tuberculosis.
This pus is alive with the tubercular MI
crobes. By long FL 'ocess OF filtration
and maceration all ther microbes but
the tubercular are eliminated, and a
thick, yellowish fluid is obtained, which
is composed of the pul 'e virus of the tub
CIRCULAR bacillus.
Dr..Koch thought Tbs 1t By injecting this
fluid into the blood, tx he bacillus might
be killed by the conta, ct with his own
virus. But experience has shown that
the virus quickens the activities OF the
bacillus, thus hastenin 9 the progress of
the disease. Obviously, then, tuberculln
is lot safe to use on human patients.
While it has no effect on one not aff1ict-
ed with the bacilli, up on such as are
afflicted, the action the bacjlli is
quickened, the patient ecomes feverish,
and the ravages of the di sease are accel-
Grated.
But while tn berculin snnot be used
on human patients, it has been found
very useful in the case of cattle, for the
purpose of determining wi lether they are
afflicted with tuberculosis.
The tuberculin was form erly obtained
only in Germany, but the National Blu
reau of Animal. Industry att Washington
is now sending it out, and before very
long Harvard College will be able to
supply it. AS obtained fro IN Wa shino-
ton, by the Cattle Conn nissioners of
Maine. this tuberculin is ara amber-col-
ored liquid of the consistent y OF glycer-
inc. The pure virus costs $40 tea
spoonful, or $1,000 pint. an d is worth
more than its weight in goldL
The Maine Cattle Commits sioners use
a ten per cent solution of the virus. "A
small quantity of this solution is placed
in hypodermic syringe AND injected
Just behind the fore shoulder. of the COW
to be tested. This injection is; managed
with the greatest care in order that no
germs from the air may get into the
puncture and make complications. The
syringe, the hands of the operator, and
the skin of the animal around the place
of puncture are all washed in an anti
septic solution of carbolic acid.
If tie animal treated is free from tub
erculosis, the injection has no result
whatever. If, on the other hand, the
bacilli are present, they are thrown into
greater activity by the virus, and this
activity is betokened by feyerish symp-
toms.
A COW treated in this city recently by
DIR. Bailey, of the Maine Cattle Commits
sion, illustrates we'll the practical use Of
tuperculin. This COW was one or three
shipped from Beverly, Mass, Novern Der
90, to W. ]. Martin OF Rockland. These
cattle were detained here in quarantine
on suspicion that they were affected
with tuberculosis, and Decem Der %. DR..
Bailey applied the tuberculin test. Al;
Z p. M, December 49,, at about the
time the injection was made,s the tenn
of ~ ba de
prees. This wasFnot unusual. At eL
M, December %, another test shove d
the temperature to be 102 rs degrees; cit
a. M, 1903; at II a. M, 104; at p m..,
105. and at 8 p. M, 105 2-5. This rise n
temperature was considered sufficient 70
show that the cow had tuberculosis
The other two showed no fever. Their g
are arising some legal complications, Nh.
Martin bringing suit against the raj l.
road tor the detention of the cattle.
Of course tuberculosis of the lungs
may be discovered quite easily by other
means, but tor the. presence of tubercu-
losis in the intestines the tuberculin is
the only satisfactory test.
DR.. Bailey says that tuberculosis exists
in Maine cattle now to very small ex
tent. Only about wenGy infected ones
have been killed during the year. But
many more Massachusetts cattls
brought into Maine are found infected.
The CHAMBERS have increased greatly
in Maine, there having been about sixty
cases in the state SO far. The importa
ton of western horses is partially re-
sponsible for this.