The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-31
|uber-


fic glands so per
pefit. IN fatiOn alone did not
detect disc fal cases. Six of the
cattle wereV from herds which we
now believe @efe affected with tuberculosis
The disease was located at each end of the
barn. The barn was disinfected by burn
ing sulphur and by spraying adiluted solu-
ton corrosive sublimate over the wood
work. All the wood about the managers
was replaced. Eighteen grade Jerseys
herds, subject to the tuberculin test. All
were found free from disease. 1t Is intend
ed hereafter to periodically test the Station
herd with tuberculn.
LII. The Station Veterinarian has this
year made over thousand injections of
tuberculn, mostly in this State 222 animals
were found diseased, 220 were slaughtered
and found tuherculous Omitting two
badly infected Vermont herds but SO ami
mails were tuberculous out of 662 tested, in
81 different herds, These figures should
not be taken as indicating the prevalence
of disease in this state since the injections
were only made in herds where it was fear
ed the disease existed The distribution of
the disease in l39 postmortemS showed so
per cent IN the lungs, " per cent in the
meSenterlc glands and "A per cent in the
udder.
~. l: PREVALENCE AND HISTORY
tuberculosis is the general name for
class of diseases which attack various or
gans and which both man and animal read
lily contract. The human death rate from
all forms of the disease is about one in
four. Cattle are affected in various proper
tons in different parts of the world The
extent or bovine tuberculosis in this cOun-
try. cannot be accurately stated owing to the
lack OF systematic inspection. The disease
has been known from antiquity both in
man and animal.
2. Cause.-The sole and exciting cause
OF this disease is germ called the bacillus
tuberculosis 1t is parasitic, microscopic,
rod-shaped plant which lives in the animal
moisture. drought, decay, and often the
process of digestion. 1t is killed by boiling
by long continued heat at from $50 to ITO
degrees, as we'll as by sunlight, air and GER
tain chemicals. Infection occurs % By
breathing the germs; (2) BY swallowing
a cut or wound. The three general sources
of infection are: a. The dust of the dried
splttle of consumptiveS or other tuberculOus
matter, either breathed or swallowed; (2)
CONTACT with tuberculOuS material or peo-
pie; 81 The meat and milk of tubercufous
animals.
g. ACCESSORY CAUsEs.-The bacillus
tuberculosis is the sole cause of the disease,
but there are conditions so favorable to its
Development that they are we'll termed ac-
cessary causes, although strictly speaking
they are not causal. Among the conditions
are: ID Hereditary predisposltion; (2)
Unhealthy surroundings, poor ventilation,
uncleanly, dark damp, hot and cold stab
ling, soiling sistem, lack of exercise, eli
matte influences; (3) Faulty feeding, I'M
der feeding over feeding, feeding on I'M
wholesome or indigcstible materials, over
production; (4l Faulty breeding, in and
inbreeding early, late and frequent breed
ing, intensive breeding lack of constitu-
ton; (5) lll,heath, temporary predispo-
SitiOn; (6) Physical constitution
ha oF
@tuberculosiS are more obscure than those
of the human disease. and often battle de-
lection. Amy attempt to describe them
would probably prove misleading rather
than instructive.
3. LESSONS heneyer the germs locate
in the body they irritate the tissue, forming
round mOdular masses These newly form
ed tubercles are usually soft and red. In
chronic cases they become cheeSy, limy and
disintegrate and run together, forming vel |
lowish, Gaseous, pus-containing masses of
various sizes imbedded in the deceased or |
ganS The lungs, Innings of the chest and |
abdomen. the Emphatic glands and the |
bowels are most often diseased. Sometimes |
the tubercules are too small for the naked |
eye to see.
q. THE TUBERCULIN TEsT-Tuberculin |
is made from pure cultures growth sepa-
rate from all other germs of the tubercle
bacillus, concentrated, Sterilized Ito kill all
germ life and filtered. 1t contains the
tons of the germs. Although failure as a
cure for tuberculosis, it has been successful
ly used to detect its existence in cattle. If
a small quantity is injected into a tuDercu-
lous animal it will produce fever, but, if
the animal is healthy and it is properly
used there should be no rise of temperature.
An increase of two degrees above the nor
NAL temperature after the injection is
ground for suspicion. The tuberculm test
is not ntalible. Mistakes have been made
IN It's use ana 1t has sometimes failed in
careful hands. II is, however, much more
reliable than any other known means .of
diagnosis Ii properly made and used it
cannot cause tuberculosis.
Z. INTER REIATIoN-BOth human and
bovine tuberculosis are infectious. Human
tuberculosis affects the lower animals and
bovine tuberculosis affects man. The lat
ter has never been directly proved, but
many cases of accidental infection have
demonstrated its possibility. 1t has been
claimed that tuberculosis does not exist
where there are no cattle, and that tubercu-
lOus infection was originally of bovine orl-
gin. Experiments have shown that the
disease producing germ may be present in
the milk whether the udder is affected or
not. 1t milk is SterilZed by heat. or ''paS-
teurlZed," 1t may be considered safe to use.
1t has recently been claimed that. because
OF the alleged presence of tuberculin in
tubercul0uS milk, even though SteriliZed,
there is danger to its consumers of aggrava-
ton OF the disease if already present. 1t is
not advisable to attempt to cure bovine
tuberculosis.
8. PREVENTION. Both human and
bovine tuberculosis are preventable, and
the means which may be taken to prevent
its spread are: (1) Official inspection
of cattle, meat and milk; (2) The distruc-
ton or disinfection of human spittle: (3)
Careful disnfectiOn of places occupied by
tuberculous men or animals. The stock
owner, so far as possible, should keep his
cattle under healthy conditions, should
keep each animal in its own stanchion,
should isolate suspected animals, should
buy cautiously, should exclude human and
animal cOnsumptives from the barn, should
test newly admitted animals and, if he
finds the disease, should kill, bury OF burn
the deceased animals. disinfect the premises
and test the rest of the herd.
9. RELATION OF THE STATE TO TUBER-
CULosIs.-The most successful work in
the suppression of animal disease is that |
done by the Government, since it is accom-
plIshed in a systematic, intelligent and
thorough manner The New England,