Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-09-22
Progress In the Campaign Against Bovine
tuberculosis.

|
mark. covering tuberculin tests of
$1,000 cattle. and describing his system
of changing tuberculous herds into en-
tirely healthy ones. DR.. Bang Is
veterinarian of the highest rank and
has been in charge, since 1891, of the
Danish governments campaign against
bovine tuberculosis. Compiled from
the translation just published as Dulle-
tin Al, Massachusetts experiment sta
ton at Amherst, cooperating with the
state board of agrculture)
AS to tuberculin. Bang declares 1t Of
great value as diagnostic Git failed in
~ to 13 per cent. Of several hundred
cases). but by no means infalIble 1t
furnishes not the slightest basis for
Judging to what extent a beast is dis
eased Tuberculin may have a curative
effect in slight cases; half of the ami
mails that reacted lin one experimenD
were apparently cured In three years
| When properly administered, Bang
| finds no evidence Of tuberculin being
Injurious except to badly diseased cat
tie, but adds that more data is needed
to scientifically demonstrate this point
Tuberculin is SO uncertain that its re-
action is not certain legal proof Of the
| animal beIflB tuDeTtuibNS.
The majority of reacting cows have
simply latent tuberculosis. 1t may re-
main latent for years. exerting no in
fuencc on the general health or func-
tions of the COWS. 1t may exist in
tubercles 50 small from the size of =
needles head to a pea) as to escape
trained observation upon post-mortem.
In many animals. the disease remains
| wholly localized for the entire life. or
even cure may take place. Tuber-
Culin reaction In Il COW is no reason to
suspect her calf will bc tuberculous.
| the ma jority of such calves are born
healthy. The milk OF the majority Of
tuhcrculuus COWS is not dangerous. un-
| less the uddcr is diseased. MIX from
| such udders may cause disease in
calves. such milk mixed with that go
! ing 10 a creamery may possibly 50 in
| feet the whole that calves fcd on the
factory's skim milk may contract
| tuberculosis Heating tne milk to 49,
degrees + guards against this. Under
sanitary conditions spread Of the dis
case from one COW 70 another requires
| prolonged living together.
In view ofali this.topro vent the useless
destruction of milking strains that are
the result Of years of breeding, to in
sure economy ard vet carry on an
| effective campaign against the discas-.
Fang has adopted this method l.
| Apply tuhcrculin test. 2 Separate re
acting from non-reacting animals 8
XIII evidently sick animals. either at
once or after rapid fatteninE. A. Rear
calves Of cows that react but otherwise
appear healthy or but slightly diseased
;. Protect the calves from infection
| through feed or otherwise G. Care
! fully disinfect stables. let in sunshine
and air. don't feed too highly l. Test
the non-rcacting animals twice a year
| The separation between reacting and
ron-reacting COWS must be complete
| Separate buildings are hest; or make
an air-tiEht, paper-lined partition
&cross the stable, keeping the sus
| rectcd animals on ono side. the healthy
! ~ the other compartment. This part- |
| ton can be made movable. to enlarga
the quarters for healthy stock as their
numbers increase. Neither reactine |
| COWS nor their caretakers should walk |
across manure piles or yards fire.
| qucnted hy healthy stock. and the two
| herds should be separately pastured |
| Take every reasonable means to avoid
| germs of disease being carried from
suspected to healthy animals
| BY these means a large herd al |
| 1hureby bile. which was badly tuber- |
! culous. has been changed, into healthy |
herd. In April, '92, the herd was tested. |
| l3l reactnc and - not reactnG. The |
| foregoing plan was carried out as well
as possible on an ordinary farm, by |
such means as any farmer can employ. |
| and the animals We're tested every six |
months. Result; The healthy animals
| kept healthy, With few exceptions; of
| the 121 suspects. those that failed tul
| react after the second and third test
were pronounced sound and We're
| transferred TO the healthy division
| until i'll three years (hy May '95, g.
| animals had been thus cured orI
saved. At first. 50 per cent of the
COWS in the whole herd reacted, but
after three years of this treatment
| more than half of these cows were
cured. and We're placed in the healthy
division. This plan is now coming intol
general use among Danish farmers, and
| when intelligently followed gives ex-
| traordinary results. one farmers herd
| contained only S5 healthy out of 139
tested in January. '9, but when tested
| il November, '95 the healthy division
| tEclUding new calves numbered 1i0I
read, only one of which reacted. Wei
may add that further evidence that the
tltherculin reaction alone should by no
means condemn animals as tuber-
culous, is not needed. But if required
1t is furnished by the further fact that
while the number of cattle and youna |
stock rcacting out of "a .0G0 tests rang
cd from 20 to 80 per cent in different
counties. averaging 50 per cent less
than is Per cent out of 900 oxen and
| COWS slaughtercdat Copenhagen proved
| tuberculous. Both experiences seem tol
agree that half of the animals that re-
act to tuberculin are practically healthy. |
and with proper care will not only con |
tinue healthy but will be 50 cured"
that they will not even react to the
tcst.-N. e. Homestead
burglars forced an cntracc into Royce |
brothers store at Springfield Mass, |
-.