Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-27

rEcTED AND QUICKLY ERADIcArED
There is not the very slightest excus'
for the presence of tuberculosis in an!
mans herd of dairy cows. Indeed, !
NAV now be considered well nigl
criminal offense to have such danger
Gus disease in existence, when it easii,
is within the power of the owner to cor
rectly detect its presence and eradicate
it in short order. 1t has not, perhaps
perfectly been proved that tuberculosis
of the COW is communicable to man, ant
vice versa, but the burden of proc
points to that conclusion, for ths
bacilli of both bovine and human tu
berculosis have been found in the hu
man patient, and the inference is tha
the bovine germ was derived from the
meat or milk of a diseased animal. Bs
that as it may, a majority of scientist:
and doctors prefer at present to con
slider the tuberculous COW or steer
menace to the health of mankind, anC
are especially afraid of tuberculosis o.
the cows udder in that its milk con
tains the bacilli of the disease and may
communicate it TO infants in the form o
tables mesenterica.
1t certainly is against all common
sense and decency to use the milk OF
diseased animal, and this equally is
true of the meat of an animal suffering
from any disease that has sapped the
strength, occaSioned fever and emaciat
ed the body. We do not wish to eat the
meat of a steer known to be tubercu-
lous, nor should that of the tuberculous
pig be placed upon the market. Every
possible safeguard should surround the
manufacture both of milk and meat,
and toward this end the stamping out
of tuberculosis may be considered de-
sirable step. But whether tuberculosis
of the animal is or is not communicable
to man, We know that it surely is SO
from the affected animal to the healthy
animal. 1t is a slowly progressing, con,
tagious disease that spreads from an
affected animal stabbed with healthy
animals as surely as rotten apple in
time causes rot of all the apples confined
with it in headed barrel.
tuberculosis is a ''stable disease OF
cattle, just as it is "house disease" OF
man. 1t is not hereditary disease al
though diseased parents may transmit
the weakness of certain parts or OF the
entire system which induces disease and
lessons resistance against its inroads.
In every instance tuberculosis gets into
herd from the introduction of an ami
NAL affected with tuberculosis. Once
that animal enters the disease is sure to
spread, provided the diseased beast is
shut up with the healthy one. Fresh
air, sunlight, exercise, Succulent food,
natural living, all lessen the liability to
a disease such as tuberculosis, but in the
absence of these beneficient influences,
it spreads apace. Shut up the tubercu'
lous COW with the other cows in hot,
dirty, dark, poorly ventilated stable and
soon other cows become affected and
they in turn affect their mates, until all
are diseased, weakened, Improbable
and pine to death. The disease is ter
rible scourge of cattle and it is increas-
ing at an alarming rate. 1t should be
stamped out, and it is within the power
of each and every farmer to rid his herd
of the disease and then keep it clean.
Evidently the first step must be to de-
termine which animals already are al
fected and this easily is done by the tu-
berculin test, which may be employed
either by the qualified veterinarian, the
state veterinarian or his deputy, or by
the owner himself after he has received
proper instruction. 1t is useless and
absurd to wait for the state officials to
discover the disease and make the test.
Go at the work now, and If the disease
is found, stamp it out. Then make it
practice to test each new cow or bull
brought into the herd When all of the
animals are known to be free from dis
ease, they will stay free from it If nc
diseased animal is brought among them
and the sanitary surroundings are made
as perfect as possible.
1t absolutely is necessary to maintain
perfect ventilation and great cleanliness
in every cow stable. The dark, hot,
badly ventilated stable is the breeding
place and hothouse of virulent tuber'
culosis. The dairy cow needs no heat
ing from lack of space and air. The
stable temperature should never exceed
60 degrees f. in winter time, and tht
temperature is to be kept down by con
stant changing of the air without caus'
ing uoxious drafts. Then let the cows
out each day for exercise, feed then
well, treat them we'll, protect then
against disease, test them with tn
berculin every six months, and tuber
culosis will cease to decimate our herds
and endanger our people.-A. 5. Alex
ander in New England Farmer.