Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-05
TUBERCULIN TEST OF COWS
RESULT OF RECENT INSPECTION
OF MARYLAND HERD.
Health Officer Asks for S., 900 With
Which to Enforce Regulations
Against Impure Milk.

Based upon daily reports OF his veterina-
rians and dairy inspectors of the exception
ally high prevalence of tuberculosis among
the mich cows supplying milk to Washing
| ton, DR.. William @. Woodward, health Off
Ger of the District, will in his next annual
| report to the Commissioners. recommend
that Congress be asked to appropriate 5000
to be used for inspection of herds and de-
lection of impure milk. The local health
authorities say the condition Of the COVE
from which the local milk supply is taken
Is, the whole, bad, and some remedy is
! urgent. Very few herds of mich cows are
free from tuberculosis, they say, and a
tuberculin-tested COW, or one which has
been examined and found to be free from
this disease, is rare.
AS example of the average percentage
of tuberculosis cows in and about the Dis
trict, the health officials called attention to-
day to the Strengthening Of forty mich COWS
at a local abattoir this morning These
cows, 1t is declared, were condemned by
private veterinarian several days ago when
he examined herd of, ninety-one cows,
| which. they say. shows more than 80 per
cent of the herd had tuberculosis, and the
| authorities say that, alarming as these fig
ures may sound, they of the opinion
that this percentage would apply to almost
every herd supplying milk to Washington.
Result of the Test.
The diseased cows which were slaughtered
this morning belonged to large dairy
man in Maryland, who. anxious to sell
certified milk, had veterinarian examine
his herd in order to determine whether or
not any of the cows had tuberculosis. The
animals were apparently healthy and from
all outward appearances free from tuber-
culosis, and the dairyman was greatly
shocked when he learned the resuR Of the
test. The bureau of animal industry Of
the Department of Agriculture and the local
haa TT n a.
suits of the test and representatives OF
these departments were present when the
animals were slaughtered.
The various health authorities contend
that the tuberculin test is the only sue
cessful means of determining whether or
not cow is victim Of the disease. At
the present time the test Is not compulsory
in the District Of Columbia or the bordering
states from which milk is shipped here,
and 1t Is purely optional with the dairy far
mer whether or not he has his cows tested.
According to the local health authorities
very few of the farmers are anxious to
have their herds tested, and are doing
everything in their power to defeat any
movement toward making the subculin
test compulsory.
The Commissioners have admitted for
some time the necessity Of making this
test compulsory and 1t Is expected such
an order will be promulgated. DR.. Wood
ward has always contended that such
compulsory test Is necessary, and he says
that unless all the cows supplying milk
to Washington have had this test applied
to them the local milk supply will not be
free from germs of this disease.
Approved by Local Dealers.
The local milk dealers. 1t Is said have
expressed their approval Of the test, al
though they claim it will increase the cost
of milk and there is a possibility of los
ing a certain percentage Of customers.
One prominent health official, when speak
ing upon this subject today. stated that it
is surprising how inconsistent the average
public is 'HThey want good, fresh and alb
solutely pure milk" he said; but when
they can be furnished with the guarantee
that their milk Is from a pure and health.
full source they refuse 1t because they Will
have to pay cents NOR quart for mix
than they are paying now.
The same official said the tuberculin test
| is compulsory in Pennsylvania. New York,
Massachusetts and New Jersey, and that
these states have model laws governing the
milk traffic. He said Pennsylvania Is spend
| ing 100000 a year to stamp out tuberculo-
sis among the cattle in that state The
strctest laws relating to this disease have
been enacted. No cow is permitted to enter
| the state unless 1t is tuberculin tested.
There Is no opposition on the part OF the
| farmers, because they are we'll paid for
| their cows if the latter are condemned
| when found to have tuberculosis. When an
| ordinary cow Is condemned the owner Is
paid not over $50, but when blooded or
registered COW is condemned the owner rs
| paid not over $50
In the event DR.. Woodward succeeds in
gress for authority to fight tuberculosis
| and will have his inspectors test the cows
| free of any charge and pay for the con-
demned cattle according to this rate