The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-03-29

dence collected to show that 1t is possible
for the disease to be transmitted from ami.
mails to man either by means OF highly tu-
berculous flesh OF by means Of the milk Of
animals suffering with tuberculosis of the
udder. Experimental evidence in this di-
rection, which has been accommodating for
ten years, apparently puts the conclusions
hey ond dispute. But the more this subject
is studied the more it becomes manifest
that the danger Of such distribution is COM
paratively small There are indeed those
who think it may be neglected entirely in
view Of the other more common sources OF
the disease in man. While tuberculosis
among cattle has been rapidly increasing in
recent years tuberculosis in man has been
declining. Bovine tuberculosis has appar-
emily increased many fold in the last fifty
years, while human tuberculosis has dimin-
ished nearly 80 per cent. While such
statistics of course do not show that tuber-
culosis is not transmittable from animals to
man, they do indicate clearly enough that
the tuberculous flesh and milk cannot be
regarded as very important sources of the
disease in mankind Man is evidently open
important than that OF the milk or flesh of
cattle that it is doubtful whether his danger
Of taking the disease would be rendered ap.
probably less il we should exclude milk
and flesh entirely fIom our diet. These
statements apply more strictly to adults
than to children. For although there has
been this large decrease Of human tubercu-
losis in general it is found that the amount
of intestinal tuberculosis in children has
not decreased as much as the other forms
of the disease, This is thought to indicate
that the danger Of children contracting tu-
berculosis through the use OF raw milk is
considerable one. There is, however, prac-
tical unaminity Of opinion that an adult has
little to fear from this source"
Prof. Conn speaks very highly of the
tuberculin test, but Vermonters are so
well acquainted with its merits that
space need not be used TO discuss it.
He discusses the methods of controll-
ing the disease. About two years ago
the WATCHMAN discussed the plan
advocated by Prof, Bang of Denmark,
and this is described in the bulletin
Prof, Cone says:
"After determining which of the animals
in his herd il tuberculous the farmer has
the data in his hands for proper handling
of the herd. The method which he will
adopt will now depend upon the conditions.
If his herd should be a small one and there
should be only one tuberculous animal,
manifestly the most economical method is
immediate slaughter of the animal in ques-
ton. II, however, the animal should be an
extremely valuable one, or il the herd be
large one and the number of cases be con-
siderable, the slaughter would entail heavy
loss. But there is no necessity for such
slaughter. Nothing has been taught more
conclusively as the result of the last tive
years study than that thereis no necessity
from the standpoint OF public health, nor of
the health of herd, that every animal
reacting to tuberculn should be slaugh-
tered. Many of these animals have the
disease in such an incipient stage that re-
covery may take place. Many OF the ami
mails which have been shown by expert
ment to be tuberculous are still capable OF
dairy, and the slaughtering of all animals
suffering from the disease is extremely
wasteiul and unnecessary But il the farm
or wishes to get rid of the disease in his
herd, he must, after having determined
which animals are infected, isolate these
animals from the rest OF the herd abso-
lutely, either in separate barn with sep
arate attendants, or he must put partition
in his barn completely separating the
healthy herd from the reacting animals,
and he must see to it that the isolation is
kept rigid. He must see that no animals
that have not been proved by tuberculin to
be free from the disease are subsequently,
allowed to join his healthy herd. He
should see that all calves OF tuberculous
animals are brought up upon boiled milk.
He must be careful that no strange animals
are allowed to associate with his healthy
herd. He must guard the healthy herd
carefully from any infection from without.
BY the adoption of this method Of isolation
he can gradually breed healthy herd OF
animals that have not been exposed to the
disease by contact with infected creatures,
and that may be thus expected to remain
free and healthy"
The. closing words of the bulletin
are
whether in this country we shall even
have as threatening condition Of affairs in
regard to tuberculosis as appears to be the
present condition in Europe it is impossible
to say Forewarned is forearmed, and it is at
all events eminently necessary that our far
mers should understand that gtis disease is
in their midst and probably increasing here
as rapidly as in Europe. The quieting Of
public agitation does not remove, but sim
ply conceals the dangers. Our agricutu-
rist should recognize that unless they realize
these facts and take hold OF the subject
noW, the condition in our country In the not
distant future will be as serious as it is in
Europe at the present time. A disease Of
this sort can be easily mastered at the be-
| ginning, but the wider it extends the more
difficult is it to conquer. II our farmers
will to-day wake up to the necessity of deal
ing with the subject by the tuberculin test