Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-09
Agitation Over Tuberculosis.

The scientists may succeed in dis
covering something about nanny
goat that will afford immunity from
tuberculosis if not absolute cure for
the disease. But it is not wise to re-
ly upon the nanny goat theory in its
present very incomplete state, about
the only thing known being that goats
never have tuberculosis. For the
present eternal vigilance seems to
be the. price the public must
pay for, safety. The cattle COM
cellent work the past year, so far as
it was in their power to do SO. At any
rate they have helped to turn to good
effect the agitation naturally arising
over the discovery that tuberculosis is
becoming more prevalent. The good
influence emanating from this agita-
ton is not confined, luckily, to this
State. The tuberculosis discovered in
the Libby herd in Cumberland
county and which necessitated the
expenditure of $3.50 by the State,
was introduced by the addition to the
Eerd of cattle from out of the State.
There was Il time, according to the
State veterinary, when Maine was
comparatively free from the disease,
and probably the growth of it is due
much more to it's introduction from
outside than from the extension of
what there may have been within the
State and we are consequently graft
fed to note that the agitation is
spreading to those outside states where
ii is known large amount of the dis
ease exists. The Boston Transcript
has the following that may be of in
terest to Maine readers:
THE grewsome stories that are COM
ing from time to time from the State
of Maine relative to tuberculOus cattle
ought to have the effect ". stiffening
up the Massachusetts, law upon this
subject. If it be a safe and sure agent,
there should be law permitting the
cattle commissioners to use tubercu-
line as diagnostic upon all cattle, as
they see fit. The present law which
restricts it's use to cattle brought into
the commonwealth from any point
without it's limit and to cattle held in
quarantine at Brighton, WATERFOWL
and Somerville, leaving its use optional
with the cattle-owner in all other cases.
is obviously so incomplete a piece Of
legislation, that it is hardly necessary
to point out it's inefficiency. 1t is true
that the restriction upon the use OF
tuberculin is in force only up to the
first of next June; but the statute of
1895 terminated the restriction a year
earlier What assurance have We that
the Legislature which convenes today
will not continue the restriction for an
other year? 1t will, if the people who
for selfish reasons are opposed to thor
ough protection against tuberculosis
have their way. In3the meantime, we
are living in imminent and continual
danger of general outbreak of tuber-
culosis among our neat cattle. This is
not pleasant to contemplate as one
drinks his milk or eats his steak or
roast" = - - IA
The only way in which the disease
may be eradicated from the herds with
much degree of permanency is by
means of intelligent cooperation be-
tween states though until that may
be obtained there should be no relaxa-
ton of the determination on the part
of each state, irrespective of the others,
to protect itself by the best and most
vigorous methods at its command.
The Maine commissioners - have
adopted measure which will stimu
selves by making it profitable for
them to do so. 1t is obvious that SO
long as the subject of this terrible dis
ease is being discussed by the public
it will be to the advantage of the milk
man and the vendor of dairy products
to demonstrate to the satisfaction of
the customer that the herds from
which those products are obtained are
free from the germs of consumption.
Ine cattlc commissioners nave devised
certificate which the milkman may
obtain by having his herd examined
by the commissioner, paying for such
examination 81 for every animal found
free from the disease. Provided it
shall be required that these examina-
tons shall be renewed quite often the
customer may feel that it is a source
of protection to him and his family
Where competition is brisk there will
be demand for those certificates and
if one dealer has this important dec
laration the others will want to be
equally we'll vouched for. But consid-
ering the fact that owners not infre-
quently change cattle there should be
some provision whereby the examina-
tons should be. sufficiently frequent.
0A0ToRIA.
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