New-York tribune., 1901-07-28
STATE INVESTIGATIONS.
EVIDENCE REGARDING TUBERCULOSIS
GATHERED BY AN ASSEM-
BLY, COMMITTEE
GRY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNE.I

Albany July 2.-Dr Kochs statement Of his be-
lief tnat bovine tuberculosis cannot be communi-
Gated to man elected this comment to-day from
Timothy f. McGarr. the secretary of the State
Commission in Lunacy;
There are constant requests TO the commissioners
Tor permission nj @ 70 buy ser5ers OF n,.d milk this ms
doctor therefore will save the State a lot of money.
The legislature which was recently in session
passed law declaring that whenever any infectious
or conta gious disease affecting domestic animals
shall exist be brought into break out in this
State. the Commissioner OF Agriculture shall take
measures promptly suppress the and to
prevent such disease spreading" The legs
lature appropriated $1,000 carry this law.
and thus animals suffering from tuberculosis
be killed The law says:
II the owner OF animals suspected of being tuber
culous desires TO have such animals tested with
tubercnlin, and enters into written agreement
feet that he Will disinfect his premises and either
consent to the slaughter Of the animals responding
strict quarantine. such test shall be made by a
medical veterinary practitioner designated by
s!oner may also In his discretion order such uber
culin test to be made and If the animal responds
slaughtered or held in strict quarantine.
The Commissioner also is authorized appoint
three State appraisers of condemned animals. One
OF the appraisers is to be present at the examins
tion of all diseased animals when an examination
is conducted for the purpose of eerm ming whether
such animals should be slaughtered He is TO de
termine the market value OF each animal direct
ed TO be slaughtered. The appraised value of each
head of cattle is not to exceed the OF $50 IL
thoroughbred. and $40 II grade. After the animals
are slaughtered they are to be examined by
medical or veterinary practitioner designated by
the Commissioner OF Agriculture. The act then
says:
The actual appraised value at the time they are
killed Of all animals saughtered under the provis-
ions OF this article, which shall be found upon a
post -mortem examination not to have had the
disease for which they were slaughtered. shall be
paid the owners Of such animals the board or
claims shall have exclusive Jurisdiction 10 hear.
audit and determine all claims which shall arise
under the provisions ~ this article tor GonpenSa
tion for animals slaushtered and to allow thereon
such sums should be paid by the state
The Commissioner of Agriculture. Charles A.
Weting. has appointed ex-Assemblyman D. P
Witter. of Tioga County, rs one OF the appraisers
He Is n practical farmer and has studied the sub
iect Of dealing with tnberculous cattle In 1890 Mr.
Wtter was chairman of committee of the As
sembly appointed to investigate animal diseases
In the State In a speech before the newborn
State Dairymens Association at Cortland on De
cember To- 1899 Mr. Witter made the following in
teresting statements:
It the work Of the committee to investigate
all animal diseases. but the disease OF tubercu-
los.s was the main object of work We have
ed il. all four States. and We have In our pos
session the laws. methods, results and expenses OF
Jersey and Massachusetts,. II may be interestns
are snnposed to have uberculosis in this ana other
States. In Pennsylvania the state veterinarian,
ah3ui - Der cont Of the Jersey COWS OF the state
would respond the tuberculin test. so far as he
had gone FIe had visited the worst diseased herds.
In Massachusetts DR.. Peters testified that he
thought at least % per cent of the dairy COWS OF
that State would show tuberculosis in physical
examination. and In the neishborhood Of 80 per
cent of the OF Massachusetts would respond
the tuberculin test. In our own State, as FAR
as able TO judge. We have very much less
of lt. In the sections have investigated We nave
found that about per cent of the cows would re-
spond 10 the tuherculin test. feel encour-
aged that We have not SO much OF 1t as the ad-
joining States.
In this investigation 70 Is somewhat necessary
that should couple bovine tuberculosis with
human consumption. as IL has been believed that
many of the human family die from the disease
after having contracted it from the milk and meat
OF cows. So we have Investigated along these
lines The burden of investigation has been
try and determine the identity of the bacillt in
animals and man, and can give you q little bit OF
the evidence along that line. II is very contra
dctory. Some believe IL is very transmissible,
while others hold II IL not In any degree. Massa-
chusetts has been very radical In her measures to