Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-22
State Veterinarian Says Harm
Has Come From Attempt
to Discredit 1t
TEST is PROVED ACCURATE
Instances Cited to Prove Merits of
System of Determining Presence of
TubercuIosis-Dr. koto Declares He
Has Never Had Failure in Years
o; Experience.
Special to Times-F.epublican.
o; Experience.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, July 22.-Dr. Paul o.
Koto. state Veterinarian of Iowa, has
just returned from Madison, Wis.,,
where he went to attend a meeting OF
the various live stock sanitary boards,
at which q considerable amount of
time was spent in discussing the
problem of tuberculosis in live stock
and the necessity for stamping it out
in order to prevent the frequent spread
Of the disease to the human family.
DIR. Koto declares that one of the
greatest hindrancas to the campaign
against tuberculosis in live stock is the
impression that prevails to some ex-
tent over the country that the tuber-
culin test for tuberculosis is not ac-
curate. He not only claims that 1t Is
accurate but supports his claim by
that OF many ether veterinarians OF
the state and also by the word of DR..
A. ID. Melvin the veterinarian who is
chief of the bureau of animal indus
try of the lsnited States department of
agrculture.
Their has been some opposition in
the state to the tuberculin test, prob
ably arising from MISUNDERSTANDING
The tubercGlin test and the method OF
applying it is easily understood. The
tuberculiu is made from tuberculosis
ge,E1s which are heated to a degree
inucll higher than necessary to kill
them. To this Isl added a small infu-
sion OF carbolic acid and q small
amount Of the whole fluid is injected
into the animal that is to be tested.
If the animal has tuberculosis its tenn
perature will rise. II it has no tuber-'
culosis its temperature will not rise.
This rase of ten1peraturer along with
other conditions of the animal consti-
tutes the test. On the post norton ex-
animation the tuberculosis is shown in
anatomy.
Proves Tests Accuracy.
To combat the impression that the
tuberculin test is not accurate, Dr.
Koto wrote to DIR. A. D. Melvin, of the
United States department of agricul-
ture, and received this reply:
I'm regard to the reliability of tu-
berculin as diagnostic agent it is
recognized by all the leading authori-
ties to be the most accurate diagnostic
agent known to medical science. In the
hands of competent men, it makes
with the combination of all known
causes. less than three per cent Of err
ror and such men as Professor Nocard
believed that a reaction of the injec-
ton of tuberculin was always an in
dication of the presence of the dis
ease, and that the reported cases of
failure We're due to a lack of thor
oughness in the post mortem examina-
ton of the carcass"
Dr. Koto and some of his assistants
claim that they have never had a fail
tlre with the tuberculin test and that
every animal that they have con-
demned has proven on the post NOR
tenn examination to have tuberculosis
The state veterinarians office has
Teen quietly carrying on a campaign
against tuberculosis in live stock and
in this work is cooperating with the
federal government but is in need of
greater cooperation on the part of the
people Of Iowa. and in need also of
some legislation.
The United States department. of ag-
riculture has inspectors at all the
larger packing houses in the country.
Whenever these inspectors find meat
that is affected with tuberculosis or
With any othe: disease if the animal
can be traced back to the owner, noti-
ication is sent both to the owner and
to the state veterinarian. In some in
stances there is no way Of telling
where the animal came from. In such
eases the government can do nothing.
known he and the state veterinarian
Ire at once notified.
Methods of Procedure.
i In this way the state veterinarian
is able to know the location of the
herds from which diseased stock has
come and If diseased stock has come
from the herds the natural suspicion
is that there are other animals in the
herds affected. Hogs contract the dis
ease from running in the same lot with
the cattle and If hogs are found af-
fected the suspicion is that the cattle
they have been running with are af-
fected.
Whenever DR.. Koto receives such a
notice from the government meat in
spectors it is his custom to go at once
to the owner Of the herd and persuade
him to allow an inspection of his herd.
Many farmers will allow an inspection
but many Of them Will not and it is
the belief that the next session of the
legislature will enact law giving the
state veterinarian authority to inspect
the herds without the owners consent
and condemn such animals as are
found to have tuberculosis.
After testing the animals all that re-