The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-11-16
As To the Tuberculin Test.

The order of the city council making
the testing of COWS in the city compul-
sorry may have been wise or 1t may have
been uuwise. The State law makes the
testing optional with the owner of the
animals. The cattle commissioners
have never tested COW or herd of
cows without the owners request. AT
first there was general opposition to
the application of the tuberculin test
BY judicious administration of the
law, by observing the condition of the
animals tested and slaughtered by the
consent of the owners, people began TO
wake up to the importance and neces-
sity of testing the cows for the presence
of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. who were the
owners OF animals as we'll as the users
of dairy products.
In short time hostility to the pro-
cess hogan to disappear, and farmers
who had been violently opposed to the
law and the work of the cattle commits
sioners, and had threatened war if any
attempt or movement was made to in
wade their property rights in cattle,
and their freedom in managing this
property, were on their knees implor-
ing the commissioners to come and ex-
anime their herds. One object lesson
in community made applicants of the
great majority of the cattle owners in a
neighborhood for an examination OF
their herds. The commissioners at
length were overwhelmed with solicita-
tions to test diaries and single animals.
In some cases large herds were nearly
destroyed by the disease, and the
exhibition of the results of post
mortem examinations in many cases
were appalling to the cattle owner
as we'll as to the consumer OF
milk, butter and beef. These dis.
eased animals often found their way
to the butchers shop and thence to
the breakfast and dinner tables of the
community. Pleasant diet, was it not7
Many owners of herds, with prop.
er regard for their own pocket book, il
not for the welfare of their customers,
voluntarily had their herds tested and
purified. The leading milk dealers in
Montpelier are able to show clean
bill of health for their herds, and this is
a source of satisfaction to their custom
ers.
1t is only man that is densely ig
norant, or that is consumed with preju
dice, or that is very much of dema'
gogue, that objects to the tuberculir
test and tries to array community
against it. No we'll informed person
who is unbiased, or who has no ulteriol
purpose to serve, will object to The
test. No well informed and candle
person believes that tuberculin Injuries
au animal. Experiments conducted a
the Experiment Stations of many States
of the Union and in Canada, and con
tinued through terms of years sufficient
ly long to be conclusive, show this
that it is as harmless to healthy ami
NAL as is water. All this talk of injury
by testing, all this hearsay evidence
this suggestion of willingness to test i
"bonds" to indemnify in case of in
jury, is sheer buncombe, or it is thu
result of apprehension aroused by mis-
information. There is absolutely
nothing in the history of the use of tn
terculin up to the present time to jus
tify the wild statements made at tn,
recent meeting of COW owners in thi
city.
The answer the consumers of mill
in this city should make to the some
what de liant attitude of some of tn,
speakers at the recent meeting at Capt.
tai hall is refusal to buy their good
ii they will not conform to reasonabl
sanitary requirements.