Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-11-24
Maine Farmers View of tuberculosis.

| am subscribing TO your paper prln-
cipally to got light on the tuberculosis
question and l thought it might be in
teresting to some of these experts to get
a look at it from the farmers view
point. There are two points OF par
ticular interest TO us. The one of profit
and loss to the herd, and the other of
possible transmission of germs from the
cattle 10 human beings.
Why should an animal that is to all
appearance healthy and performing all
the bodily functions in natural man
ner be condemned as unfit for food? is
the flesh of this animal affected by this
parasitic germ any more than 1T would
be by lice on the skin or by worms in
the intestines? Allowing that myriads
of them are in the blood that remains in
the meat can they do any possible harm
after the meat is cooked? If these ami
mails were not arbitrarily dealt with they
would most of them live to profitable
old age and go to their reward as can
ners or get "cast" in the barn and die,
or come to some other honorable end.
There is loss coming to farmers from
improper feeding and from contining
their cattle in unsanitary barns, but are
they relieved from this loss in any way
by killing off half the herdp
These tubercular bacilli have been in
the world since the beginning and is
there any record of their injuring cattle
that are properly fed and cared for?
Isn't the only apparent loss to the farm
er the one that comes when some zeal
Gus veterinarian condemns his herd to
slaughter? And isn't the only excuse
for this the fear that they may transmit
the disease to some human beingP And
here again let us look at the facts and
not be scared by theory.
The great recent extension of the milk
business has encouraged the keeping OF
large herds of cattle in close quarters
and upon stimulating and unnatural
food and it is in these herds we lind
such large numbers of tuberculous
cows. Their milk is used in the cities
almost exclusively. Yet in connection
with this largely increased use of tuber-
culous milk we find steady decrease Of
consumption in human beings.
Will any of the doctors deny the value
of vaccination to prevent small pox?
Aud yet vaccine is but the human germ
modified in the system of cow and re-
turned 70 the human being again, rem
dering him more OF less immune. Are
all the doctors ready to cry "slush" aud
nonsense il farmer should suggest that
the use of tubercular milk was render
ing the human family immune to con-
sumption?
The great and only Koch is still un-
shaken in his belief that consumption is
not contracted from cows. We farmers
are only too glad TO take his view. And
when DIR. Smead says that in public
institution in New York where the in
mates had been using the milk of herd
for some time that we're found to be al
most entirely tuberculous, the rate Of
consumption was much below normal,
we say, good for him. Let US have the
facts. When the babies in the slums
die off with consumption does it attack
them in the stomach where the milk
goes, or in the lungs where the vile air
of their surroundings goes? Give the
devil his dues, for consumption is a
great curse. But the poor, innocent
COW, who is able to protect herself
against all germs, if given fair chance,
stands dumb before the doctor with his
quill of tuberculin. Give her chance.
u. A. Burdick, Auburn, in Hoard's
Dairyman.