The herald., 1897-08-26

W ~
eternity. 1t is important with sugges
tion that herds of cattle confined in clost
dark barns or those of cold regions
where long winter confinement is i'm
perative and in seasons of the year wher
confinement is practiced are far more
likely to suffer from tuberculosis.
1t is an interesting fact, true of al
bacterial diseases, like diphtheria, scar
let fever, typhoid, etc, that some kinds
of animals and individuals of the same
kind are nearly or quite immune. This
is supposed to be due to some agent in
the blood that is fatal to the germs In
some cases it may be the white corp
uscles, in others special elements of the
plasma, or liquid part of the blood.
Something akin to this very likely ex-
plains why a person may not have. GER
tain microbe diseases more than once.
The one aff1iction bequeaths to the
blood preventive or curative proper
ties
INCITING CAUSES
AS there can be no rat-eaten cheese
without rats so there can be no con-
sumption without the tuberculous germs.
Could all consumptives-peopl cattle,
stopped for one generation, it is proba-
BILE that it would be stopped forever as
it is not likely that any of the germs
would survive such a long period of in
activity.
Inherited tendency is also to be feared.
No one can inherit consumption, for the
disease only comes with infection with
the presence of the fatal germs. But one
may inherit weak, enfeebled constitu-
ton, impotent to push this or other
menacing diseases aside. The same is
just as true of our cattle. Certain
strains-especially those very highly
bred and very closely inbred-are
wrecked in constitution and fall an easy
prey to tuberculous germs. Ill-ventila-
ton is the most certain hotbed wherein
the cruel germs of consumption luXur-
late and breed sorrow and death. Pure
air and sunlight are the deadly foes of
the deadly tuberculous microbes. The
open windows, outdoor life and innumer-
able days Of bright glorious sunshine
are what have given Southern Calfor-
MIA her just reputation as an excellent
sanitarium for the consumptive. 1t is
doubtless true that incipient consump-
llOH IL llle SUBJECT WOulQ i've anu steep
wholly out of doors, as would be possible
in this wondrous climate, would always
succumb to the healing power of our
delicious air and sunshine.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Great allopathic doses of air and sun
shine are alike preventive and curative.
So many consumptives come here that
the tuberculous germs are like the poor.
AS yet we cannot hope to fence surely
against them-though we should do all
in our power to stay and Danish the
splitting habit-but we cam ever throw
wide open the doors and windows of our
sleeping rooms. and the more the bet
ter. If they are too few for the most
perfect ventilation we can sleep in tent
or screen porch. This may involve some
expense and trouble, but it is better than
the doctor, his useless medicine. or the
graveyard. So, too, our cattle. Give
them all out doors for a stall and only
use the barn in case of storm. I find
my Jersey, that is so te,hered' that she
can be in or out of the barn at will, is
never in except in times of rain storm,
and then usually has the good sense to
keep her head out the door. She may
laugh at tuberculosis. and l can use her
milk. cream and butter in my family
with no foreboding thought. 1t is proved
by direct experiment that the microbes
are very speedily killed by exposure to
sunlight. This undoubtedly accounts
for the fact, in part, that the disease is
no.more common than it is. This is why
houses and barns which are sheltering
consumptive patients should be flooded
with sunlight. There is no better de-
structive agent against tuberculous in
fection than a great inpouring of sun
shine into the suspected rooms. For the
consumptive and his friends alike, he
should always be kept on the sunny side
of the house and bathed as much as pos
sible in brightest sunshine.
KOCH'S TUBERCULIN
Kochs lymph or tuberculin, as we
should expect from the ability and
knowledge of it's originator, is certainly
a very important diagnostic if not pre-
ventive and curative agent. Until
lately, if at all, it has not been safe or
sure in the treatment Of human tuber-
culosis. Very likely it may be so ret
fined and improved that soon it may be
very Nd4udDIS DOlu IOl uidSAOSls anu
cure, if not for prevention. That it is
now very important if not wholly satis-
factory as a means to diagnose tuber-
culosis in cattle is established beyond
question.
Tuberculin is a liquid is put up in
small walls and dispensed free TO proper
applicants by the Divisions of Animal In =
dustry of the Department of Agriculture,
Washington, d. c.
HOW TUBERCULIN is USED
The use of tuberculin is based on the
fact that when injected into the blood
of a tuberculous COW it will generally
cause rise of the temperature of two
or more degrees. In fact if it induces
such a rise the COW or OK experimental j
on is found invariably to be tubercu-
lous. Unfortunately in small per-
centage of cases, and they not infre-
quently very bad cases where the cough
and general decline are enough to assure
US that the evil is present, the body does
not react and the fever does not appear
Thus a fever following the injection
while ii does not always come, even ir
tuberculous subjects, will always indi.
cate the disease when it does come
Happily, the exceptions to the reaction
are not sufficient to seriously impair its
use.
METHOD OF USE
The normal temperature of cattle is