The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-02-03

annual Report of the State Veterina.
rnnan.-Ihe seventh annual report of DR.. A. W
Hiement, state veterinarian, has been issued
IN pamphlet form. 1t says the law providing
ior tne inspection of cattle and stables contain
Ing cattle has had good effect on the farmers
oe tne community, but would be much more
enecuve could prosecutions be made more
AS to tuberculosis DR.. Clement says "Is IL
not necessary that something should be at
tempted to control its prevalence in the lower
animals, or at least by the collection of sta
tstics to show the public how common it is in
.ne cattle from which they obtain their milk
nile 1t is now generally admitted and
proven by experiments quoted that the milk
VI tuoerculous cattle is exceedingly dangerous
10 man, the question of infection from the
meat supply is in dispute. Some experiment
.ers nave produced positive results by feed
ing OF the expressed musclejuice of tuber-
culous animals but it is feared that the exper-
,menters may not have used proper antiseptic
precautions IN obtaining the material. Any
one VINO is in the habit of visiting our slaugh-
Ter houses will observe that the butchers are
not at all particular about the knives used in
dressing or the cloths used in cleaning the
carcasses, but persistently use the same knife
ana the same cloths Unfortunately on cattle
winch are reeking with tuberculosis and those
winch are healthy.
tuberculosis is a worldwide disease, af
Iectlng, In all probability, all classes of ami
mails, due to specific micro. organism known
as the tuberole bacillus. The disease causes
great losses in our domesticated animals and
millions of deaths annually in the human
famlly. The disease may be transmitted from
the lower animals to man through the milk,
ana under certain circumstances through the
flesh used as food. The diagnosis of this dis
eases is now made possible in all cases by the
use of tuberculin.
"The different city and State boards of health
should have veterinarian as member of the
board, and these officers should be in direct
and constant correspondence with the proper
officials of the central government, who in
their turn should have final jurisdiction.
.-"While it may not be practicable at present
to undertake the complete eradication of the
disease each State should, at least. institute
thorough examination of the herds to deter
fIlineits prevalence. The question of radi-
cal attempt to stamp it out should be agitated;
owners Of cattle should be appraised of its dam
gers all tuberculous COWS should be removed
from dairies and all meat should be subjected
to veterinary examination at the time of the
slaughter.
I'm conclusion would advise that the law
relating to the inspection of stables and of cat
tie in which there may be found evidences of
tuberculosis, either TO the eye or upon physical
examination, be rigidly enforced. That these
examinations be made by men competent to
detect such disease in 30 far as possible by
manual investigation.
"That laws be PASSED regulating the owner
ship of dogs by compelling them to pay a Ii
cense for the keeping of such animals, anG that
also laws be enacted for prohibiting the main
tenance of private slaughter houses, and that
provision be made for the inspection, at the
owners expense, of all animals intended for
slaughter and for all meats consumed in the
cities and large towns.
Several cases of tuberculosis In cattle have
been purchased by the Live Stock Sanitary
Board and charged to this account on the tech
nical statement made by me that tuberculosis
was a contagious or infectious disease. These
purchases should be carefully guarded if made
at ALL as, if the State is to buy all of the cattle
having this disease, the appropriation at the
disposal of the State veterinarian and the Live
Stock Sanitary Board will have to be very
greatly increased. The United States Govern
ment considers the amount of money neceS-
sary to pay for these animals so enormous,
and the results to be obtained so doubtful, that
it has never yet considered the question. This
should be matter of private practice. What
the Legislature can do, and has done, is to pass
law requiring the sanitary inspection of all
dairy animals and the stables.
Fifteen herds were tested in private prac-
tice with tuberculin for tuberculosis. These
herds comprised Isl cattle, of which number
twenty reacted, showing them to have tuber-
c1losis. Twelve tests were made of milk by
Drs. Stokes and Lehman, of which number
three were good, five were poor and dirty, and
four absolutely unfit for use. This condition
of the milk is what gives rise to so many cases
OF summer complaint in children, and its sale
should be prohibited.
1.-The discussion now going on among the
milk producers and the retailers as to the quail
ity of the milk furnished will tbs to be hoped,
settle this point to the satisfaction of all. In
fact, the healthfulness of the milk supply ap-
peares at present to be in fair way toward
solution"