The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-01-16
THE TUBERcULIN TEST.
r. s. Houston Don't Believe HIS Cattle
Were Justly Killed

Were Justly Killed.
..Uncle SAM Houston don't believe
his cattle which were ordered killed by
State Veterinarian Scott a few weeks
ago, were justly killed according to the
test made on them for the disease
known as tuberculosis. He has been
fortifying himself on this tuberculin
test" matter for some time and has re-
Gently been to Madison to lay the mat
ter before the state authorities there.
Perhaps no class of men are more
deeply interested in knowing the exact
facts with regard to the extent OF tu-
berculosis among cattle, it's effects on
the milk, cheese and butter made
therefrom and the value of the tuber-
culin test, than the users OF milk in the
west. IF the disease prevails extern
sively they have right to know it, and
especially if among their diaries in
their county. If the presence Of the
disease GlaOdys renders the milk dan
gerous as human food they should by
all means know it; if there are some
forms of it in which the disease does
not affect the milk, they have right
to know that; if the use of tuberculln
has the effect Of rendering a harmless
form of the disease dangerous to the
animal and also renders the milk dead
", the creameries and dairymen have q
right to know that; and if there is any
method by which the disease can be
eradicated without interfering with the
business of the farmer or that of the
creamery, everybody has a right to
know that.
The sober common sense of expert
enced and thorough veterinarians IS
finding expression and is being heard
over the din that has been made by the
fedglings.
One of the most recent expressions OF
veterinary opinion is that of Dr. W. L..
Zuill, prominent Philadelphia veter-
marian. At a recent cattle breeders
meeting he said: "There is noquestion
but that the danger scare which has
been given to the public concerning the
use of milk has been greatly exagger-
ated. Statistical perinentation has
proved this over and over again, and it
conclusively shows that the milk from
a cow with chronic or encVsted tuber
cuIar eenters is not necessarily danger
GUS or unfit for food, as it may contain
neither the spore nor the germ Of the
disease, and that tuberculin is far from
being the intallible diagnosttc agent
that some claim for it. The first inves-
tigation in the United States to deter
mine the diagnostic value OF this medi-
cament in tubercular disease of cattle
was made by a committee of the vet
Urinary faculty Of the University OF
Pennsylvania, of which was chairman.
The conclusions reached by that COM
mittee have been cOrrobOrated by every
similar investigation since that time.
They all show that tuberculin will not
give reaction in every case of the tn
bercular disease, and that it will give a
reaction where there is no tuberculosis,
in cases of chronic pneumonia, acti-
nomycssis, sareoma, contagious pleura-
pneumonia, etc Therefore, it is not
reliable in diagnosis.
In addition to its unrellability it is
positively dangerous, inasmuch as it
may change the milk of a dairy which
was perfectly pure and harmless into a
noxious product by changing chronic
and encysted tubercular center into an
acute military tuberculosis, thus filling
the milk with germs and spores, rem
dering it dangerous and unfit for food.
This form of the disease is probably
never seen in cattle except as the re-
suit Of tuberculin injection, as the
natural course OF the disease is always
chronic, and it is Only when it has pro-
crossed until there is a general infec-
ton, including a tubercular mammitis,
that the milk becomes dangerous. This
condition may easily be recognized by
the physical condition of the udder or
by archaeological examination of the
milk.
6 We, as veterinarians, have no right
to jeopardize q mans property by in
iecting his cattle with tuberculin; nor
to slaughter his animals in an endeavor
to prove that they produce diseased
milk, as the finding of tuberculosis le-
sions is not proof of this fact. Does the
law allow a building inspector to tear
down and destroy mans house in or
der to find out whether or not it is
properly built, and then ask him to re-
build itg Then why should the law
allow dairy inspector to kill a COW in
order to prove that her milk product is
unwholesome? Would it not be more
reasonable, more logical, more in ac-
cord with the dictates of common sense
to first examine that product micro
scopically and chemically and thereby
prove that it is unfit for food and dan
gerous to human life? Such an exam
ination can be made with less loss &c