The San Francisco call., 1904-09-11
FOWLS DO NOT
ENDANCER MAN
tuberculosis in Chickens
Presents Little Menace
to the Health of People
DISEASE GAINS GROUND
Professor A. r. Ward Sug-
gests Killing as Surest
Way of Staying Ravages
Berkeley Office San Francisco Call,
214S Center Street, Sept. 10.

214S Center Street, Sept. 10.
tuberculosis in fowls is not mat
ter that intimately concerns the public
health. This conclusion has been
reached by Professor Archibald R.
Ward, professor of veterinary science
and bacteriology at the University OF
California, after an exhaustive exami-
nation into the question of the prob
ability of the transmission of the
germs of consumption from fowls to
man. In bulletin issued at the uni
versity to-day Professor Ward sum-
marizes his conclusions in the follow
ing language:
The subject of relationship between
tuberculosis in man and cattle and
the disease in fowls is full of interest.
tuberculosis in cattle is prevalent In
the same district in which the disease
in fowls occurs, and examples of
tuberculosis in both cattle and fowls
on the same ranch have been observed.
Attempts to transmit the disease from
man or cattle to fowls have usually
failed. Successful transmission of the
disease to fowls from man or cattle
! has rarely been accomplished. Cattle
centage of the poultry ranches, and in
consequence the question Of the pos
sible transmission of the disease from
cattle to fowls is relatively unim-
portant
tuberculosis in man is not notice
ably prevalent in the community
where most cases of the disease in
fowls have been found, for it Is not
frequented by consumptives in search
Of favorable climatic conditions. The
possibility of the transmission Of tu-
berculosis from poultry to man is a
matter concerning which it is exceed
ingly difficult to collect evidence. The
fact that chickens, when eaten, are al
ways well cooked indicates that there
is practically no danger from that
source. 1t has not been proven that
tuberculosis is transmitted through
the egg, and furthermore, most eggs
are we'll cooked when served. 1t does
not appear therefore that tuberculosis
in fowls is a matter that very inti-
mately concerns public health
Professor Ward observes that tuber-
culosis in fowls exists extensively
among many large poultry ranches in
this State, but it seldom kills enough
fowls at one time to excite the alarm
of of the owner. It's existence in a
fcck constitutes a steady drain,
though it fails to attract much atten-
ton, because the losses are so evenly
distributed in point of time. In the
first outbreak of the disease brought
to the attention of Professor Ward the
owner lost $50 fowls out of flock of
400 in one year, indicating that the
disease is distributed broadly enough
now to demand the serious attention
of poultrymen.
Professor Ward finds tuberculosis to
be an infectious disease caused by or
ganisms known as tubercle bacteria,
which enter the body of the fowl and
multiply there. Infection is trans
mitted principally through droppings
into the food from tuberculous
chickens. There is no evidence to In
dicate that tuberculosis is spread
through the egg, though it is possible
that this may be so.
There is no known remedy for the
cure of tuberculosis in fowls, any more
than for the disease in man. Killing
is the only real preventive and this
should be done as soon as the disease
manifests itself. The disease can only
be controlled by measures designed to
keep the healthy fowls separated from
the diseased ones and perfect SANTA
ton, spraying the roosting- houses with
disinfectants and keeping the young
pullets away from the affected stock
or from land recently occupied by the
latter.