Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-03-28
The DAIRY.
What the Farmers and Public Have
the Right TO Know.
DR.. Salmon Takes to Figuring and
Shows the Reason There Was in DR..
Atherton's Suggestion.

The following article is printed by
request.
Hon. Daniel Needham, president Of
the New England Agricultural socie-
ty, in his annual address, the 9Th inst,
said: "The legislature of Massachusetts
has undertaken to deal with tubercu-
losis by statuary regulation. The sur
prisingly wide extent to which practi-
cal judgment has determined the ex-
istence of this disease and the impov-
erishing results to our farmers, which
follow in the execution Of the law,
seem to demand a radical change in
the original statute. If, as is claimed,
| this disease exists to a greater or less
extent in our herds throughout the
New England States, even with the
most economical management in the
remuneration of owners for the loss of
their cattle, an almost fabulous sum Of
money must be raised by the state, in
creasing the burden of taxation and
placing a new obstacle in the way of
our agricultural prosperity.
"That the disease is not new to our
domestic animals is generally recog-
nized. The thing which is new is the
universal excitement which has been
created through the public press, pub
lie lectures, the use of tuberculin, the
slaughter of many diseased animals
and some upon which the disease has
not been found. 1t is at least judi
cious to call attention to the fact that
no absolute determining means have
as yet been discovered to forecast the
disease.
'.No tables have been published Civ
ing the percentage Of failures in the
use of tuberculin. When tables are
prepared and published a better opin-
ion can be expressed upon the wisdom
Of the course pursued by those whose
duty it has been to carry out the pro-
visions of the law.
"What the farmers and the public
desire to know, and have right to
know, is if to any extent and, if so, to
what extent, absolute connection be-
tween the milk and the flesh of these
animals and the health of humanity
has been traced. Is what has been as
sumed to be known about tuberculo-
sis real knowledge or in the realm OF
doubt and speculation That the
great bulk of all knowledge has been
acquired through speculation, no care
full reader of history would attempt to
deny, but, until established, the slow,
careful process Of feeling, aided by the
glimmer Of uncertain light, must be
continued.
81 have no question that the inves-
tigation of tuberculosis under the di-
rection and guidance of veterinary
surgeons is making valuable progress.
But science is always slow. New re-
lations are not readily made, and, i'm
patient as men may be with slow or
hesitating progress, it is better to be
slow or hesitating than to be wrong.
The fact that this disease has existed,
and generations of men who have
lived upon the milk and flesh of these
animals have maintained an increas-
ing longevity,is one which might well
justify a high type Of conservatism.
So far as | have learned, medical men
in their attendance upon the sick have
been slow to attribute disease in its
earlier or later stages to that univer-
sally used food product, the milk of
cows; and this Of itself must be evil
dence OF great exaggeation Of the in
furious effects OF tuberculosis"