Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-11-06
BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS.

In interest and importance, the ques-
ton of tuberculosis legislation is sec
ond only to that OF liquor legislation.
Touching, as it does, both the public
health and the pocketbook, it cannot
fail to deeply concern allot our people.
It is, moreover, a two-sided problem,
with plenty OF good argument to be
put forth in support of either view.
The present law went into effect in
1894, as the result of the discovery OF
the prevalence of tuberculosis in cattle,
the belief that tuberculosis, as it
exists in the human family, is the same
form of the same disease. and that il
may be and is communicated from an
imal to man by the eating of tubercu-
lous products, to wit, the meat, milk,
butter and cheese of affected cattle.
At about this same time, too, was dis
covered the merit of the so-called tu-
berculin test, by which it is possible to
determine the presence of tuberculosis
n cattle without killing them. The
general assembly of '94 passed an act
giving to the board Of agriculture, act
ing as cattle commission, authority
to apply the tuberculin test, to enforce
quarantine and to make other regula-
tions calculated to stay the progress OF
the disease and possibly to completely
eradicate il. With some changes,
this act has continued until now. I'M
der it, the cattle commission has ex-
pended 81, 296j0 Of the states money.
There have been tested los, l66 cattle,
of which 1904 have been condemned
and killed. The statute prescribes
that after cattle have been tested and
before being slaughtered the animals
condemned shall be appraised by a
member Of the commission and a dis
interested party selected by the owner,
with the assistance OF a third party to
be selected by them, in case they can
not agree. The animals are appraised
ION a basis ofhealth.n The appraisal
limit is $40. The owner receives half
the appraised value from the state.
From the very first, the administra-
ton OF this act has met with opposi-
ton, which has developed, of late, into
intense antagonism. IL comes chiefly
from cattle owners who have had ami
mails condemned by the state and are
not satisfied with the laws operation,
also from other owners, who have
been compelled to submit to quaran-
tine or who are suspected OF harboring
tuberculosis in their herds.
The arguments used by opponents OF
the law are, in brief:-That the public
is unduly scared that it has not been
demonstrated that bovine tuberculosis
and human tuberculosis are the same
disease; that the trend Of evidence is
that there is no relation between them.
or at least they are not transmissible
from one species to the other; that the
state has plunged recklessly into the
business OF devastating herds, to the
immense injury of owners and loss to
the state; that if such law is to be
continued farmers ought to becompen.
stated in full Tor cattle slain.
On the other hand, supporters of the
law are quite able to give reasons for
the faith that is in them. They main.
tain that the act is, in its essential fea,
lures. a wise one that bovine tubercu
losis is probably dangerous, as it Ger
tainly is an unwholesome. disease
that cases are numerous where fail
ground exists for the BELIEF that per.
sons have contracted the disease ant
have died, as the result Of eating Ia.
berculous products; that the system
Of testing by the aid OF tuberculin Is
on the whole, reliable. and should moi
be abandoned; that by its aid cattl,
whose physical appearance would NO
subject them to suspicion are frequent
" found to be badly affected; thai
whatever doubt exists as TO the commu
nicability Of tuberculosis from COW e
man, there is no question whatever a.
% its transmissibility from COW t.
COW, and the interests Of the herd