Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-07
TRACING TUBERCULOSIS
The Koch Test Applied to Animals at
Bellevue Dairy.
Several Found to he Suffering From
the Disease-ScienfIsts Display
Great Interest.

tuberculosis in cattle occupies a very
prominent place in the public mind inst
now. for it is identical with CONSERVATION in
man, and it has been proven beyond any
question of doubt that the disease NAV he
transmitted from the former to the latter
by means of the mill. of cows which NAV
De afflicted with the malady As consunp-
ton Is responsible according to statistics
for the death of fully one-seventh of the
human race. the importance of the subject
may be realized. For many years invests
cation has been directed toward 1etermin-
Ing the extent to which the milk of uuber-
culous cows is affected with the baccill of
the disease, and how far II csc germs may
be transferred through such medium to the
systems OF the human beings who use it.
The result has been that all sanitarians
row agree that the use of such milk is
positively dangerous. great obstacle
which has confronted the scientists en.ae-
ed In the work Of this investigation has
been the difficulty of correctly DIAGNOSING
the disease. except where animals are
plainly affected.
In herd of forty cattle. for example
three or four may he unquestionably af-
fected: four or five others NAV have sus
pieious symptoms. while all the rest may
not snow any signs of the sickness what
ever, and yet be afflicted with it, 1t is EVIL
dent that under such circumstances il
would be necessary to destroy the whole
propagate the contagion.
Discovering the Disease.
The discovery. however. that incubation
with kochs tuberculine will show the
presence of the disease iE any animal which
may be affected with 1t, notwithstanding
how well 1t otrtwardly appears, has pre-
vented the general slaughter of herds con-
tanning diseased animals, and now il is
comparatively easy for dairy farmers to
pick out, by means of this method the
cows whose milk would be dangerous for
their customers, and dispose of them by
death.
About two weeks ago Mr. Christian Heur-
len, who owns the Bellevue dairy farm in
the country north of Washington deter
mined to apply the test TO his herd of milk
cows. which is composed of registered Jer-
seys and Holsteins. Veterinary Surgeon D.
r. buckingham of Washington conducted
the test. and of the ninety cattle inocu-
lated, several were found to be afflicted
with tuberculosis.
Yesterday five of these animals were
slaughtered to make scientific holiday
The miserable rain prevented the larger
part of those who had been invited to wit
ness the interesting operation from making
The long trip out to the farm, and the men,
berS Of the House committee on agriculture
who We're very DESTROYS OF being present
were among the stay-at-homes. A dis
tinguished party, however, attended the
post norton. and among the spectators
animal industry of the Agricultural Depart
ment; DIR. William Gray and DIR. d. s.
Lamb of the Army Medical Museum and
Drs. Schroeder, Robinson. Ford and Ache
son.
The Disease Hereditary.
Five cows were killed, and upon exam
nation of their lu:.gs, the presence of tu-
berculosis was plainly determined. and por-
tons of the diseased parts were set aside
for future scientific examination. A calf,
which was the offspring of one of the af-
ficted cows, was also killed. and tubercIes
were found in its lungs, thus proving the
disease to be hereditary beyond question.
Several other cows in Mr.. Heurich's herd
in which the incubation with tuberculine
developed the existence of the disease have
been isolated at Front Royal. Va. for the
purpose of being experimental upon, with
a view of determining the curative quality
of koch's consumptive lymph. Mr.. Heur-
ich's experiment was as expensive to him
as IT was praiseworthy. The animals kill
ed represented money value of over 81 900,
and at the commencement of the test he
announced his determination of slaughter
ing his entire valuable herd IL Ii was found
that such course would be necessary to
prevent the milk from his farm from exer-
cising a dangerous effect upon those who
used IL.