The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-14
DR. Nj. III. REYNOLDS, OF THE STATE
EXPERIMENTAL STATION, IS
SUES A BULLETIN.
ON BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS.
DOCUMENT THAT REPRESENTS A
DEAL OF CAREFUL WORK In
PREPARATION.
Table Showing Various Results I'm
der Different COnditiOps-Re-
suits of Experiments

DIR. M. H. Reynolds, veterinarian of
the Minnesota state experimental sta
ton, has issued a bulletin on bovine
tuberculosis. This bulletin evidently
represents a great deal of careful work
and there is much tabular matter in it
that represents a valuable lot of statis-
tics; but is difficult to review in a
popular abstract. This bulletin, as well
as all others from this station, is for
free distribution, and every one who is
interested in this matter should write
to the station at st. Anthony Park for
copy. This bulletin contains an in
teresting history of the bitter fight that
was made against tuberculin as a meth
cd of diagnosis for tuberculosis in vet
Urinary practice and shows that this
opposition has almost disappeared. In
a review of the progress that has been
made since it's introduction appears
the following points:
That tuberculin is not to be considered as
ln1allible, although so accurate as to be very
practlcal; that accurate or perfect post NOR
TENS are impossible and the failure should be
charged, very often, to the operator and not
TO the tuberculin; that milk from tubercuIous
COWS that have apparently sound udders may
contain the germs of tuberculosis; that when
the udders are tuberculous, the milk is very
prevalent among well bred cattle; and finally
that this disease is not matter Of breed but
one of infection, then of care and conditions
of keeping.
tuberculosis by the use of meat and milk
from tuberculous cattle, and the reasonable
inference is that people may also be infected
in the same way.
GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
In the United States, no active national pol
low hoe l1ny NNoI IL
or state board of health deals with the ques-
tions as seems best. Our own state board of
health encourages owners to have their cat
tie tested by furnishing the tuberculin free
through the local boards Of health.
Denmark has commendable plan and one
that seems practical. The government fur
nishes the tuberculin and pays for the neces-
sary veterinary service to test the Young
stock. If the owner wishes to have the whole
herd tested, he must pay for the extra ser
vices of the veterinarian, in testing the older
cattle.
The Danish government is trying to breed
out tuberculosis rather than to eradicate it
act
worthy of note.
Cattle can longer be brought into France
without having been tested and pronounced
sound. All cattle slaughtered for food pur-
poses must be killed in the public abaltoirs
under careful inspection When tubercuIous
animal is found in the slaughter house or
elsewhere, the whole herd from which this
animal came must be tested. The owner
then has option as to the DISPOSAL of
those that react and condemned. He may
permit immediate slaughter and receive re-
Enumeration from the government, or he may
keep them under quarantine for six months
at the expiration of this time they must be
killed under inspection and he then loses all
that are condemned.
TUBERCULIN TEST. n
This bulletin contains full instructions for
making the tuberculin test together with
some cautions and suggestions that are the
result of actual experience and shows the
common sources of error. The author has
taken pains to show that the tuberculin is not
only free from germs, because it has been
filtered through porcelain, but that 1t also
has been steriized by heating and cannot
possibly be infectious. With respect to the
effect of tuberculin injections on sound cat
tie, carefully kept experiment Is ami
mails and covering a period of two weeks
shows that for the week before test the
entire herd gave 1925 pounds of milk con-
tanning 1893 pounds of butter fat and for the
week Of test 3,4202 pounds of milk contain
ing 1896 pounds of butter fat; IN other words
distinct increase for both total milk and
total butter fat for week of test over the week
before test. The test occupied the first two
days Of the week, and the record shows a
distinct fall for the two days of test but an
increase during the succeeding five DAYS that
more than made up for this loss. An expert
ment was also conducted with four steers to
show the effect Of tuberculin injection on
IeeOfHg steers. Inc result shows that the four
steers during period of five successive weeks
made the second largest weekly gain during
the week Of test. During one week the gain
was larger and during three other weeks it
was very much below that for the week Of
test. These two experiments show very clear
ly that tuberculn injections do not decrease
the flow Of milk materially, If not ALL and do
not affect the digestion or general health of
feeding steers. In view Of these expert
ments it can hardly be argued that tuberculn
is injurious to healthy cattle.
1t is interesting to note that the United
States Veterinary association has earnestly
supported tuberculin at both of the last annual
meetings, Des Moines in '95. and by still more
vigorous resolutions at Buffalo in 49, This
association has in its membership the lead
ing veterinarians from all over the United
States and its decision on this question should
be considered authentic.
Table CO. showing the percentages of
tuberculous among cattle under different con-
dittons of stable and care. and among differ
ent classes of cattle as to breeding, are given
in full because of it's peculiar interest. All
the classifications as to condition of stable
ventilation and breeding were made by an
employee of the station.