Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-24
DISEASE IN HIGH PLACES
Morgan Herd Of Jerseys and
Iowa State Cows Afflicted
With Tuberculosis.
BY CLINTON M. sHULTz.

BY CLINTON NJ. SHULTz.
The discovery of tuberculosis in the
herd of high-bred cattle on the Iowa
college farm and in the pampered
herds of j. p. Morgan proves the ex-
IRENE susceptibility of COWS to take
this disease apparently without re-
gard to breeding or environment. The
presence of the disease in the Iowa
herd has been suspected for some time,
but no actual tests were applied until
recently under the recommendation of
the state board Of health, which urged
all farmers in the state to test their
cattle.
The result of the test at the state
farm shows about one-fourth of all the
cattle are affected. The imported bull
Scotland's Crown, at the head of the
herd, died recently and post-mortem
developed the fact that he was af-
fected with the disease, although his
death was from other causes. The af-
feeted cattle will be sent to market
and sold subject to inspection, except a
few of the choicest animals, which will
be kept for breeding purposes and
whose progeny will be sold subject to
test.
We should say this is running very
great risk, although the college au-
thorities claim that tuberculosis is not
hereditary in man or beast, a state
inent, however which is not agreed to
by all authorities. The college au-
thorities will feed the calves from the
affected cows on Pasteurized milk or
on milk from COWS known to be sound,
and thus they claim they will be able
to rear animals that are free from
disease. 1t is a fact that this method
is practieed in Europe and with some
considerable success. A short time ago
tuberculosis was discovered in COW
on ]. P. Morgans farm, and when the
test was applied to the entire herd of
aristocratic Jerseys one third of them
were found to be diseased. Mr.. Nor
gan, with characteristic promptness,
consigned every affected animal to the
slaughter pen.
The presence of tuberculosis in
herd that has had the most careful at
tention, surrounded by every safeguard
and fed and cared for as BETTING their
high pedigree, has aroused great in
terest, if not real CONSERVATION, among
farmers everywhere. If tuberculosis
exists for months or years without
discovery in the model herds of agri-
cultural colleges and in those of rich
farmers like Mr.. Morgan the danger
to the average farmer who generally
buys his cows without test is thus
strongly emphasized.
The Morgan incident has aroused the
agricultural department of New York
and 1t has taken up the matter prompt
ly end is now urging all dairymen and
breeders to subject their cows to test
without delay. 1t will also endeayor
to put a stop to the importation into
the state of any cattle that have not
been tested.
The authorities of every state owe it
to the public to enforce the laws re-
garding inspection and testing because
the spread of tuberculosis is steady
and rapid and is becoming a serious
menace to the health of the people and
the live stock industry
In some of thea western states hogs
are so badly infected with this disease
that eastern packers refuse to buy any
animals that come from certain sec
tons of those states. In fact. New York
packers will not buy hogs that come
from any part of Iowa or Wisconsin
and the lines are being more closely
drawn in all great packing centers.
The effect of such restriction upon
the live stock business is found to be
very serious and will become worse ev-
cry year unless prompt and efficient
measures are taken by the authorities
to induce farmers to clean up.
DR.. Burton Rogers of the Kansas
state college warns the farmers that
they are likely some day to awaken to
the fact that the newly developing
countries of South America, starting
rightly as an advantage, will soon
eradicate tuberculosis from their herds
and then possibly set up a justified Eu-
ropean scare against our dairy prod
ucts not coming from animals known
to be free from tuberculosis He de-
clares that taking the country as a
whole, less than 6 per cent of the
farmers in the United States are send
Ing all the tuberculous food animals
to market and that the other "a per
cent owe 1T to themselves to pass laws
to protect them and the public Dr.
Rogers recommends system of tags
by which every animal sent to market
can be numbered and traced back to
its owner.
All infected animals should be sent
to market subject to inspection, and
those not marketed should be sepa-
rated from the healthy herds All ami
mails should be tested at least once "a
year and all infected premises should
be disinfected in "a manner recon-
mended by the Department of Agricul-
ture to prevent the spread of disease
to additional animals. No cattle or
hogs should be allowed to enter the
state TO remain permanently without
first having been tested and all infect
ed animals sent TO market should be
sold subject to inspection.
A monument is to be erected to g
rooster which recently died in Vef-
million county. Illinois, at the age OF
IL years. 1t was the champion OF
champions. having won first prize al
eight successive state fairs and alsc
at the Pan-American exposition.