The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-15
Tuberculosis in Cafkl8.
Frank Harvey NJ D., D. S., Gives his Opinion on This
Most Terrible Disease.

Veterinarian, anyone having suspicious
cases among his cattle or anyone who
knows of such cattle, reports them 10
him, and he makes an examination. Il
he finds the cattle are tuberculols he
orders the animals destroyed, and the
State (somctimes) pays the owner a
sum Of money more or less, generally
reported by the owner.
Now. to diagnose Il case of 1Hbercu-
lossis. especially il it he an incipient case,
is not so easy as many may imagine.
even though the expert who attempts to
do it has ''Tuherculin' to assist him. \
simple physical examination, that is,
such Il one rs can be made with the aid
Of the special senses of sight touch and
nearing alone. is very unsatisfactory.
Cattle may be fat, and appear in good
condition, and yet be victims OF the dis
ca Sc.
Or, there may present no other Symp-
tom than al intlamed ndIer, or 4 dis
eased gland, bone, or joint.
Then again all the symptoms of con-
stitutional disease may be present. rs
for instance, cough. llbored breathing,
poor appetite, decreased supply OF milk,
staring, harsh coat. with general loss Of
condition and probably dysentery, and
diarrhoca. Fever is often present. Now
although the animal may exhibit Ill
these systoms. and although Il compe-
tent Veterinarian would he satisfied
with these symptoms, and those he
would find on Il physical examinations yet
the owner who knows his loss will be
great. wishes quite naturally, for some
| more convincing evidence. The animal
| is then tested with ''1uberculin.'
| In 1890 Dr. Koch. of Germany. an
| aonnced to the world that he had dis
| covered Il substance which would ao
| much III diagnosing tuberculosis (con-
| SUMPTION in the human subject. and alsC
| would cure lupus, itself Il tuberculous
| disease. He did not claim it as an alb
| solute cure for tuberculosis. although
| he has received the credit. or. ra ather rs-
| credit of making such statement. He
I did. however. discover an agent which
l proved to be OF much value in dag
| nosing bovine tuberculosis. even though
| the LESSONS were small and quite recent.
| But still it is not infaliiblc.
| 1t IS not Il remedy to be injected 1in-
| der the skin by every tryo, but should
be used by scientific men, and its after
! effects carefully watched in an ideal
| ease of tuberculosis With the tempera-
| turc about normal, the temperature will
| rise in from 3 To - hours several de
| grees, and then i'll from t to u hours
| will drop to below normal.
| IN Il perfectly healthy animal 1ro rcac-
| ton whatever should take place
I Eminent Investigators have found
! though. that in perfectly healthy ami
| mails, tor at least such rs showed no
| sign of tuberculous, or other disease
on post-mortem examination, shortly If
| teri. Il we'll marked reaction took place
/ and then again animals which We're con
/ demncd as tuberculouS after physical
| examination and We're found 50 at post
| mortem examination. were not affected il
| any way by the ''Tuberculin test
Altogether | believe Tuberculin to be
| 4 very useful test i'll con junction Will
| physical examination. but | do not be
| Ecve it to Ee infallible, and IL my min(
| ii is quite Il question whether anyone.
| COW should be condemned as ''tubcrcu
| louS' on the "Ttlberculin Test alone a
| thorough physical examination Of tn.
| lungs and other parts should he made
| first, and that hy II thoroughly com
| petent man, and then the ''Euberculn'
test applied and It's value weighed with
out prejudice.
In conclusion. in making an estimat,
as TO the number Of Iubercuo,lss cattl.
i'll this State. / should be inclined t,
| be conservative.
| am not inclined to believe that al
| most all the herds in the State are tn
| berculous. on the other lland | belity,
that what there is of it should b,
stamped out. as a protection to the pub
lie, and at the same time Il protection Il
the owners OF such stock. | do not be
leye that more than six or seven pc
cent Of all the cattle of this State. ar
tuberculous, and / believe that to b
rather an eXtrayagant estimate. /
may, however be true that certain herd
may contain twenty or thirty per cen
Of tuberculouS cattle
make this remarks generally no
specifically.