The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-03-06
tuberculosis.
To THE EDITOR OF THE OPINION:

To THE EDITOR OF THE OPINION:
Dear SiT-Many of your readers will
doubtless remember that early in 1884 the
Experiment Station herd was slaughtered
because of tuberculosis, and that after
thorough disinfection of the barn, a new
herd was purchased, subject to the tuber-
culin test. The cows were boughtin three
lots in April and October of 1894 and Janu
uary, 1895, and have been tested twice a
year since purchase, with negative results
no tuberculosis having been found in the
new herd. f--
Of the last purchase in Brooktfeld, about
year ago. consisting of eleven animals,
enc reacting to the tuberculin test was re-
jected, the remaining ten cows were driven
to NOrthheld, shipped to Burlington and
placed III the Station herd Several took
cold and two were quite sick as result OF
the journey, change of stable, etc. few
weeks later, Lena, coming from the same
herd as the enc we rejected was noticed to
be coughing more. breathing unnaturaly
and failing in flesh. She was tested again,
not reacting. She was treated with eXpec-
tOrants and tOnics and slowly improved.
In June she was turned out to pasture and
continued to improve until feed dried up,
then began to fail again. She was brought
irto the barn in the early fall, where she
gradually failed. Her unthrifty condition
and cough were noted by many visitors at
the farm, and several remarked that she
had tuberculosis if ever cow had. But
our confidence in the tuberculin test led us
to think otherwise, Notwithstanding the
fact that she came from herd in which
the disease existed. Last month she was
tested twice using double doses of tubercu-
lin, without giving the slightest reaction.
In view of the fact that she was an I'M
profitable animal, exhibiting many symp-
tons of tuberculosis, having como from a
tuberculous herd (although recording to the
t,.ha artIi oct ROT ftrh m al
it WAS deemed advisable at the meeting of
the Board of Control last week to destroy
her. to make careful post norton eXami-
nation and to satisfy both the public and
ourselves as to the exact cause of her
cough, labored breathing and general I'M
thriftiness. The autopsy revealed a part
Of one lung consolidated (fb-Ous phthisis)
with considerable catarrhal bronchitis,
both doubtless resulting from a slight
pneumonia contracted when shipped to Us
year ago.
This it seemed to us was very lnstruc-
tive case, presenting two conditions, both
of which are difficult to differeniiate from
tuberculosis, both accompanied by cough,
altered breathing and emaciatiOn. and cali
ed by the lalty consumption. In fact, here
we find the explanation of the statement so
frequently made nowadays that we have
always had tuberculosis among the cows of
Vermont The results of investigation in
tuberculosis, in Vermont during the past
two years Towering many thousand tests)
lead us to believe that bovine tuberculosis
IN Vermont OF least has existed but a very
few years, and that the cases we heal about
dying many years ago from sO-callrd old
fashioned consumption were generally
cases of catarrhal bronchitis; fibrot S
phihiSis, OF, more rarely, other wasting
diseases, but not tuberculosis During tile
past two years we have destroyed many
cases like the above. Two we're not tested,
the others were. but did not react and were
killed at the request of the owners.
Yours truly.
+. A. RICE, Veterinarian.
Experiment Station.