The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-07

the presidents table, while much of thu
time several were talking at once. Propo-
sitions to stand by anybody arrested il
consequence of the action of the Portland
Board of Health were greeted with cries
of That's the stuff ''Of course WI
will; - That's what we're here for;'
etc. When it was suggested that money
was needed, forty or fifty promptly pulled
out their wallets. There was no doubt
that the farmers were in earnest Theil
plan is to keep right on selling milk as
they are now doing. Before the first Of
July they hope to induce the Board OF
Health to modify the regulations. If this
is not done and an arrest is made, their
plan is to fight the suit and make a test
case of it. They have legal advice to the
effect that the regulations could not be
sustained in court.
Mr.. j. B. Hammond -
SET THE BALL ROLLING.
He moved that the producers continue
to furnish milk to the city of Portland as
they have heretofore Mr.. Ham
mond said he made the motion to bring
the matter of the regulations of the Port
land board before the meeting.
Then DR.. George H. Bailey, the state
veterinary surgeon, was called upon He
said he hardly knew what was expected OF
him. Ii there was any thing the cattle
commissioners could clear up he would be
glad to do SO but this was not their
funeral. They had not been consulted by
the Portland Boardsof Health, and knew
nothing about these regulations until
they saw them in the public print. Dr.
Bailey said that he believed the matter of
contagious diseases in domestic animals
was under the control of the cattle COM
mission. He read from the statutes show
ing it to be the duty of boards of health if
they suspect the presence of tuberculosis
to notify the cattle commissioners A
year ago, said DIR. Bailey, the Portland
board of health took this matter to Cover
nor Cleaves and at his suggestion the cat
ations of a large number of animals and
many tuberculin tests, in herds from
which milk was sent to Portland. They
didn't find case of tuberculosis. Said
DR.. Bailey, 81 asked DIR. Merrill, then the
chairman of the board of health, if he
knew of single case of infected milk be-
ing brought into Portland and Dr. Mer-
rill said that he didn't but he was appre-
hensive. Now the Portland board of
health says that you must prove that
your cows haven't tuberculosis. I say
they should prove the existence of it, if
they suspect it," cloud applause.
DR.. Bailey advised his hearers to keep
on saving wood if they held certificates OF
the cattle commissioners. He had heard
that the Portland board of health did not
intend to recognize those certificates They
say the commissioners employed quack
but nevertheless he was a duly author
lied agent of the board and when GER
tificate of the board was refused recog-
milton by the Portland health officers, the
cattle commissioners would meet and
take action. Until then keep on saving
wood, said the doctor.
.'That's what we propose to do, Shouted
farmer in the back of the hall
Mr.. J. b. Hammond had a question
How long will the tin tags which the
Portland Board of Health propose to put
in our cows ears prevent tuberculosis? six
months?" This sally was loudly APP
plauded.
Mr.. Hammond had another question
Twill the tags be put THEREOF
II should say not, judgingH fromI the
size of this meeting" replied the doctor.
lions about the tuberculin test, in his an
swers to which DR.. Bailey told them that
he believed in the test, that in safe hands
it would not hurt healthy COW or cause
any permanent shrinkage in the produc-
ton of milk.
Somebody wanted to know how many
authorities there were who believed that
ouUCICutOS1s Is IlOU COIludRlOuS.
1t would be like looking for a needle
in hay stack" said DIR. Bailey.
Later in the doctor remarks, the gen.
tleman returned to the charge with the
statement that he could quote authorities
in England, Scotland, France and other
countries that tuberculosis was not con-
tagious. DIR. Bailey responded that con-
sumption or tuberculosis was the cause
of more deaths than various other dis
ferred combined. Then the seeker after
knowledge put in a poser. 1t was some
thing about calcareOus tumors which
would not hurt meat or milk while they
remained inert
DIR. Bailey replied that in such cases
it was often found that the lungs were
badly broken down. "That," shouted
the inquirer, is where you find empty
soma. Isn't that what you do?''
''If the gentleman wants to discuss the
pathology of tuberculosis, it will take
more time than this meeting has to de-
vote to it's retorted the doctor tEmphy-
soma is a non contagious disease. I
don't know what the gentleman is
TRYING TO GRIND OUT"
DIR. Bailey also told the farmers about
the relations of the cattle commissioners
to the State Board of Agriculture. He
said that last winter, when the commits
sioners were endeavoring to procure an
adequate appropriation for their work,
Secretary McKeen of the Board worked
against them. The fact that the legisla.
ture refused the appropriation asked for
accounted for the fact that the cattle com
mission now had no funds with which to
pay for condemned animals 1t was dur
ing DIR. Bailey's remarks that the poison
at six cents quart came in. A gentle
man wanted to know what the doctor
meant when he made the statement in
one of his papers that poison was peddled
at six cents quart in the city streets.
DR.. Bailey said he was glad of an oppor-
tunity to explain. That remark was a
quotation from a statement by Dr. Peters
of the Massachusetts Board of Cattle
Commissioners and referred to the con
dition of things in that state where 80 per
cent of the mich cattle are said to be
affected with tuberculosis while it is con-
ceded that not more than per cent in
Maine are sufferers.
Then Cattle Commissioner John M.
Deering of Saco was called upon and
talked earnestly for some time of the
methods pursued by the commission do