St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-19
USE OF TUBERcULIN TEST
SOMETHING THAT ALL OWNERS
SHOULD HAVE APPLIED TO
THEIR STOCK.
Addresses by Prof. Reynolds. DIR. G..
n. Hewitt, DIR. Hess, DIR. Avery,
DIR. Jones.

and vicinity. There must have been
fully ZOO present. The meeting was
called by DR.. Stone, health commits
sioner, for the purpose of directing the
attention of the dairymen to the subject
OF tuberculosis in cattle and the i'm
portance of having all their cattle. espe-
clally COWS furnishing milk and butter
Ior sale In the city, tested with tuber-
culln. On the table lay the most con-
Vlnclng evidence of the presence of the
disease in Minnesota cattle, for two
large chunks of beef badly affected
that had just been brought in from
the Transfer were exposed to view. as
were also the lungs Of the same ami
NAL from which the beef came Both
were disgusting enough to make any
body seeing them shiver at the idea Of
ever eating any product tainted with
such a disease.
In calling the meeting to order, DR.
Stone spoke of the spread of tubercu-
losis, and the easy and comparatively
inexpensive method of detecting it by
means of the use of tuberculin. The
only means of stopping it was by the
determination of animals affected. Any
veterinary surgeon could make the
test, and his certificates that the ami
mails tested were all right would be
taken as proof of the fact No war
was being waged on dairy products or
beef, but a fight was being made
against tuberculosis, and it should be
made, for at least 10 per cent of the
deaths in this state are due to it, and
that is small, compared with the re-
suits in other states. Tuberculin is a
wonderfully accurate test, and does
not in any manner injure the cows
Prof. Reynolds, of the state agrlcult-
ural school, was then introduced, and
gave a long talk on the results of his
experiments with tuberculin. He said
that out of 997 tests made, tuberculin
had proven false only twice. But it
requires something more than tuber-
culin to produce good cattle,' conclud-
ed Prof. Reynolds. There must be
change in the mode of breeding and
caring for stock. Breeders must come
to understand the laws of nature and
they must learn that no law of nature
can be violated without bringing on
evil results. They must learn that
there is something more in breeding
and feeding than the productions of
fine horns and a large amount of
milk. If they insist on breeding their
cattle in keeping them housed and
blanketed so that the sunlight never
strikes them and they never get any
exercise, they must look for evil results.
OF course the less exercise, the less
tissue is destroyed, and the greater the
amount Of milk yielded, and for these
reasons COWS are not allowed to run
j n, ! ic, 11NIo ID
ditions that soon get them ripe for
tuberculosis"
Dr. C. N. Hewitt, Of the state board
of health, said that he was the one
who introduced tuberculin into the
state and felt gratified at the results
He began as a skeptic, but soon be-
came convert. 1t is time to cease the
discussion as to the merits of the test.
They had been proven beyond question.
In case of diphtheria or scarlet fever,
the sick and we'll children are sepa-
rated as soon as possible, and the same
thing should be done with tuberculous
cattle. Aside from the protection of
human life the removal of suspicion of
disease from dairy products would pre-
vent the substitution of artificial pro-
ducts that are becoming more and
more popular because of the bad con-
dition of the natural. The self-interest
of the dairymen should prompt them
to put on the market not only health
full, but clean product.
DR.. 0. B. Hess, government inSpec-
tor. of meats, was introduced, and said
that he thought some interest should
be shown in the prevention of the sale
of unhealthy meat. The government
inspects meats shipped out Of the state,
but that rejected is put on the home
market
DR.. H. NJ. Avery, health commission
er at Minneapolis, was the next speak
er He recited brief history of the
use Of tuberculin in his city, and told
of the obstacle finally encountered, the
courts holding the ordinance invalid.
The question with the dairyman was
whether his COWS would be injured by
the use of tuberculin, but he could as
sure him that they would not, in the
least. The real question is whether
the consumers have o right to expect
that they are being supplied with pure
milk. Minneapolis was the first city to
pass an ordinance requiring dairymen
to have a certificate that their cattle
have been tested with tuberculin before
being allowed to sell it In the city, and
now all Eastern cities are following
the example. A citizen of the city re-
ported the illness of one of his children,
and it being suspected that the milk
used was the cause, test was made.
and it was found that out of sixty-siX
cows owned by the dairyman who sup
piled the milk, sixteen were affected
Dr.SWeeney said that to no subject was
the doctor compelled to give more at
tention than that of tuberculosis. The
dalrymen have been engaged for years
in the slaughter of innocent children.
They are evidently not a class of men
who would engage in such crime
knowingly. In years gone by hump
on the back or deformed leg was sup
posed to have originated in some acct
dent, but now it is known that these
deformities often result from tuberculo-
sis. Whenever good doctor goes to see
sick child now, his first question is as
to where the family gets its milk. II It
comes from a dairy, the cows of which
have not been tested, an order is given
to change at once and get milk from a
dairy, the cows of which have been test
ed. tuberculosis is not confined to the
milk, but is equally communicable from
the butter. If the dairymen desire to
sell milk and butter, they will sell more
by having their cows tested.
DR.. Talbot Jones, eX-health commits
sioner read from the report of a COM
mittee of the British parliament that
investigated the subject of the commu-
nication Of diseases by the use of milk,
butter or meat from tuberculous ami
mails. The opinions were very conServ
ative, but the conclusions were to the
effect that all kinds of products of cat
tie tainted with the disease We're apt
to communicate the disease to human
beings Rabbits and guinea pigs ex-
perimented upon all became affected In
this way.
John Hubbard Discharged.