The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-03-06
AN EXAMINATION FREE
State Pays for the Cattle
Having the Disease.
No Dairyman Can Afford TO Permit
% His Cows to 70 Without Proper
Examination.

l6r three cows of his herd, composed
lof twenty-three animals. He stated
that these animals coughed and
lwere not doing we'll.
An officer of the Board visited
this farm, made an inspection of
the herd and learned the following
history:
had kept cows on his farm. for
about forty years. never adding new
animals TO his herd except It's own
progeny and occasionally new
bull. During all those years, until
March, 1902, he had had no serious
illness among his cows. Occasional
| ly deaths occurred hut they were
always from evident causes, such
a. milk fever, bloat, accidents. etc.
In March, 1909, he bought two
COWS at a gale. One of these an.
lrnals was rather poor, but her con-
dition was attributed to poor feed
and care. The other animal seemed
to be in good health.
After about three months, COW No.
died. The exact cause of her
death was not ascertained. About
Isix months later, COW No 2 died.
cause not ascertained.
During this time, several new
cows We're added TO the dairy by
purchase, the owner desiring to build
up a larger dairy herd.
About six months after the death
OF COW No. g COW belonging to
tie original herd ceased doing well.
began TO cough and died.
Within the next two years. at ir-
regular intervals. five additional
animals began to fail; they ran down
In condition and died.
The owner stated that all of these
animals showed the same symptoms
and that he believed they all died
|of the same disease. When the last
animal died. veterinarian was
called and requested to make post
mortem examination. He pronounced
the disease tuberculosis Three
animals of the herd were at that
time In an unthrlfty condition and
tho veterinarian advised tlbcrculin
test on these animals.
The state Board of Live Commits
sioners was appealed 10 to make
the test.
Afler learning this history, the
owner was advised 10 have his en-.
tire herd tested, to which he agreed.
1.-THE result of the test may be told
In few words. or the twenty
three animals comprising the herd,
twenty-five reacted TO the test and
were pronounced tubercular. Upon
heing questioned the owner stated
that the twenty-third animal. the
one that did not react. had been
added TO the herd just a few weeks
before.
Where did the disease originate?
There seems only one possible con-
clnsion; II was introduced with the
purchase of the two cows In March.
1902. From that time until the test
was made. in the fall of 1905, n
period of little more than three
years, a herd that averaged less
than rwenty-fOur animals during
that time suffered q loss of eight
ccws through death. three animals
evidently sick. and most of the otn-
or animals more or less visibIy af-
fected with the disease.
After the test, all OF the reacting
cows were destroyed autopsies held
on the Garcasses proved the correct
ness o, the diagnosis.
/ All Of the condemned animals were
appraised. averaging in value thirty
lwo dollars and twenty seven cents
i$3@27) We can now figure out.
without much trouble. what Il cost
to have tuberculosis in this herd for
q period of three years. Assuming
the value OF the animals that died
10 be the same as the average of the
herd. eight times thirty-two dollars
land twenty-seven cents gives lis two
hundred and fifty-eight dollars and
sixteen cents ($25S. 1G), in addition
70 the loss Of three animals in an
|adyanced stage OF the disease. and
the balance of the herd, with the
exception of single animal, infected
with tuberculosis.
All of this loss could have been
avoided and The tuberculn test been
Iresorted to In time. e
With Board of Live Stock Com
missioners that will test dairy herds
a. the expense of the state. thus
enabling the owner 10 detect tho
disease In It's first stages when there
is yet possibility OF saving the
healthy portion of the herd. and
with state laws that provide for
liberal compensation for the loss OF
animals condemned by the Board
OF Live Stock Commissioners. what