Evening star., 1901-10-17
THE TUBERCULIN TEST
NEED FOR CAREFUL EXAMINATION
OF IMPORTED CATTLE.

NEED FOR CAREFUL EXAMINATION
OF IMPORTED CATTLE.
| The Agricultural Department Issues
Pamphlet Defending Government
Tests of Breeding stock.
Much adverse criticism has appeared in
I agricultural papers within the past few
| months which concerned the governmental
regulations for the tuberculin test OF i'm
| ported cattle enforced since March l. 19oo
By those regulations imported cattle in
| tended for breeding purposes-the animals
of purest blood which are brought into the
| United States-are subjected to most
careful and minute test for germs of con-
sumption while the stock Intended for i'm
mediate slaughter Is not tested at all. This
apparent discrimination against the i'm
portation of valuable breeding cattle and
the wide publicity given Prof. Koch S
theory that tuberculosis is not contagious
to human beings through the germs OF the
disease in cattle have provoked not lit
tie dissatisfaction among the editors Of
American agricultural weeklies.
In recognition IF that criticism and In
answer to it, DR.. D. E. Salmon, chief of
the bureau of animal industry of the Ag-
ricultural Department, has prepared pa
per on 1.-The Tuberculin Test of imported
Cattle in the course of which he says:
| i"At the present time the pople of nearly
every Stock-raisiEg country are alarmed
over the prevalence of tuberculosis among
their cattle. The disease is recognized as
the most widespread, most fnsidious and
most disastrous of any of the disease af-
inc ,off fS a
disease which may spread to nearly every
animal in a herd, and not to cattle only
but to swine and most other species of
animals.
1.-The weight of medical authority favors
the conclusion that it may be communi-
Gated from animals to man with fatal re-
suits The British congress on tubercu-
losis held, Notwithstanding DIR. koch's view
to the contrary that in the opinion of this
congress medical health officers should use
the powers at their disposal and relax no
| effort to prevent the spread of tuberculosis
by milk and meat This being the case and
I there being In existence law prohibiting
the importation of diseased or exposed ami
mails there is every reSon why this law
should be applied to tuberculosis as well
as to other communicable diseases
Breeding Animals Diseased.
There are other reasons at this time
why the spread of tuberculosis should be
controlled SO far as possible. Some of the
ing tuberculin tests and slaughtering the
cattle which they find diseased. This
causes considerable loss, Inconvenience and
hardships, which fall principally upon farm
erS. The farmers for the most part in
| troduce the disease into their herds inno-
Gently through the purchase of breeding
| animals for the improvement of their stock.
| The class of breeding animals which was
being imported previous to the require
ment of tuberculin test was very dam
one-half af lot lar
| ing been found diseased. The diseased ami
mails in most cases were In good condition
| of flesh, apparel healthy and would de-
ceiye any one unless a tuberculin test were
made.
when we have such test. ,emarlSapie
| for its accuracy and reliability. there Is
| no good reason why spectators should be
allowed to bring In these diseased cattle,
which are not wanted in other countries,
| and scatter them among the breeding herds
and dairies of the United States to COM
municate disease and sooner or later TO
| bring about the destruction of the nerd
with the heavy loss which II entails.
Export Trade Threatened.
Moreover many Of the countries of the
| world are now adopting measures for sup
pressing tuberculosis among their native
animals and for excluding tuberculous ami
mails from their territory. The United
States has already a great export trade in
animals and animal products, and our peo-
pie are endeavoring to increase this trade
by adding to 1t the sale of pure bred cattle
for improving the herds of South America.
Mexico and perhaps of South Africa If
the proportion of animals affected with tu-
berculosis in our exported cattle should at
any time be found to be increasing we
must look for further restrictions and pro-
hibftions upon both our animals and meats.
Fortunately our meat-producing animals
are today the freest from tuberculosis of
any highly-bred stock which enters the
markets OF the world; but how long win
this continue to be true Ii we encourage
the importation Of breeding stock, Of which
20, 40 or even 60 per cent is diseased when
| it enters our herds?
nature which often exists IN animal
without causing any symptoms that would
lead to its detection. With the animals
brought to this country for breeding pur-
poses not one-fiftieth Of the tuberculous in
| dividuals would be detected without the tu-
berculin test, and yet many of these arc
quite badly affected and capable of spread
ing the disease. Consequently the tubercu-
Of guarding against the Introduction of tu-
berculosts with imported cattle.
Danger to Dairy and Range.
1.-THE farmers and dairymen who have
suffered from tuberculosis in their herds
have not yet fully realized that they have
generally introduced the disease by the
purchase Of pure bred stock Only a few
weeks ago great excitement was caused in
Vermont by the slaughter OF several large
dairy herds In which a very large propor-
tion of the animals were found tubercuIous
Some writer's for the press exclaimed in
effect: These are our most valuable and
highly-bred herds: IL they are tuberculous
to such an extent, what must be the con-
dition Of the remainder Of our caftler They
did not grasp the idea that these particular
| herds had probably been contaminated In
the very effort to improve them by using
pure bred breeding stock ~s.--s
"The danger from tuberculosis Is not con-
fined to the dairy and farming regions OF
| the country. 1t mensces the cattle on the