Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-05

Stfoyeu by Order OF the commissioners,
| have proved much greater this season
than ever before; and has grown large
| ly out of the fact that demands upon
Us by various boards of health
I throughout the State. to have all cows
tested with tuberculln, from which
certain cities and town derive their
dairy products. have doubled the ex-
| penSes heretofore incurred in making
physical examinations. together With
| the undisputed fact that such tests
| would surely disclose an increased
| number of cases of tuberculosis to be
paid for and destroyed.
! Early in May, 1896. the Portland
board of health demanded that the
| herds furnishing milk to that city
| should be inspected by the commits
sioners, not that they had proof of any
diseased milk being brought to their
market. but We're apprehensive that
| such might be the case. A great many
herds were inspected that were within
reasonable distance of Portland: and
although our examinations were made
among a class of cows that We're many
of them forced for the production of
| milk which would be a factor in de-
velcpng the disease, tuberculosis was
discovered only late in the season in
but one single herd of cows whose milk
was sold in that city, although during
our Investigations, we discovered two
herds In New Gloucester that We're
quite badly diseased, but their product
has been made into butter, and never
sold as raw milk.
This was the first examination asked
for by any city or town in Maine,
where the whole expense incurred
would have to be borne by the State,
and while we recognize the Importance
and oftentimes the necessity of such
inspections, it would be unfair to the
taxpayers at large to select certain
portion of the State. and examine all in
that portion, or examine all the cattle
supplying one city and leave all the
others. unless a systematic inspection
was ordered, and then separate the in
spected territory and allow no animals
to cross that line until they were also
inspected: until the entire State had
been covered and all animals found
tuberculous had been condemned and
destroyed.
When we come to consider that there
are over louVVu HlilCIl GUNS liz Mdiie,
and that if this class of animals alone
were to be tested with tuberculin, it
would cost the State over 100000 to do
the work: the fallacy and inexped-
ency of such a proposition becomes
self-evident, in view of any appropria-
ton yet provided to carry out the pro-
visions of the law under which we act.
The board of health of Lynn, Massa-
chusetts. also made demand early in
the season of 1896, that all cows
furnishing that city with milk should
be tested with tuberculin previous to
May /. and this order affected a good
many farmers living in the western
portion of the State, in Kittery. Eliot
and North Berwick.
These three towns furnished Lynn
daily with the milk of at least 500 cows,
and while the tests were made practi-
cally at the expense of the farmers
themselves, our board coperated with
them, and agreed to pay the testing of
all cows that proved to be diseased,
which proved to be confined to II
head. in the two former towns, ap-
praised at $500.
1t is a significant and important fact
bearing upon the amount or percent
age of tuberculosis in this State, that
out of the large number of 700 cows
tested with tuberculin that less than
% animals were condemned and de-
stroyed Another fact in connection
with these cases was that the major
part of the cows condemned We're
found in two herds. where some pre-
vious case had been brought among
them and allowed to remain, until they
had ''leavened the whole lump.
1t is now an accepted and unchal-
lenged fact that Maine has less tuber-
culosis among her bovine population
than any eothers New England state,
but unless the same watchful care is
exercised in the future as in the past,
what we have will increase and fur
nish seed for an abundant harvest.
1.-THE commissioners believe that the
near future will disclose the fact that
no milk can be sold in open market in
this State unless certified to by the
proper authorities that it is from
tested herds, and no man will buy a
COW for his own use unless she is
tested before he pays for her.
Eternal vigilance is the price of
health as we'll as liberty, and all in
telligent communities are awakening
Ito the vital importance of having their
| milk supply free from the bacillus OF
| tuberculosis.
This is not a case of dollars and
cents" it is case of life and death.
There is now consensus of opinion
among the best authorities, that tuber-
Eculin is the surest and about the only
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