Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-11
Interesting Question Arises Be-
fore Board of Health Meet
ing Monday Night
FIRST COW is CONDEMNED
Under New Inspection Rule Animal Of
Herd Supplying Private Families is
Discovered to Have Tuberculosis =
Owner Can Sell Her for $25, and
a Pertinent Question Arises.

IL a COW is injected WITH luDeISu-
losis, and fails to pass city inspection,
what does any one want with her, and
why should the owner be offered $50
for her?
When an animal, 50 infected, and
tagged condemned" unfit for milking
purposes, and her milk is prohibited
from being placed on sale, what is to
become of Ter? Can the owner dis
pose of her as he sees fit, for as much
as he can get?
If an infected animal can be sold to
Tom, Dick, or Harry, does not such a
sale put a premium for irresponsible
persons to buy up such CRITTERS" for
a little or nothing, butcher them, and
peddle the meat to your back door, or
sell it over the block in some butcher
shop?
urally arise Upon the regular meeting
of the board of health Monday night,
when City Milk and Meat Inspector
Diller reported the first case of in
lection from tuberculosis discovered IN
the city. The COW, No. 1894, is the
property of w. Rouse, 1906 West Main
street, who sells milk to private fami-
lies.
The animal infected is fine and
healthy looking, a Jersey, eats and
drinks as would any healthy animal,
and gives an average quantity of milk
that has always been considered good.
The disease is probably in it's incip-
iency, but at any rate the test with
tuberculin showed up in regulation
time, evidencing that the glands of the
neck are affected with the disease.
MI. Rouse has the cow isolated, and,
Of course is not selling milk from her.
He wouldn't use the milk himself, and
he wouldn't think of selling it. What
he is interested in, however, is to get
as much as he can oug of the cow. He
has been offered $25 for her; by whom
he says he does not know. Neither does
he know what his prospective buyer
wants her for. He wanted to know of
the board what his action might be.
AS it is the first case that has come
up under the new inspection ordin-
ance, and neither Of the doctor mem
bers was present, the board was not
able to give an answer to the ques-
tion.
The board referred the question to
the mayor, city solicitor, and Inspector
Diller, to investigate and give Mr..
Rouse an answer. The ordinance does
not cover the case fully, it seems, altho
it refers to the proper disposal" of
condemned animals. The state law at
a glance, also failed to offer a solution.
The mayor will doubtless ask an opin-
ion from the state veterinarian or state
board of health. The general opinion
in the board seems to be that the ami
ma can be offered for sale at a pack
ing house, subject to government in
spection, and if the disease is not
sufficiently advanced to permit the
animals slaughter, it can be sold at
regular market prices. With the meat
inspection ordinance as yet imperative,
however, the mayor does not just like
the idea of permitting the sale of such
an animal that would allow her
slaughter without government inspec-
ton. Rouse wonders why, if he can
sell her at a packing house, why he
can not sell her to any one, or to the
highest bidder. Perhaps he an; the
board did not pretend to say. If this
is permissible, under the law, how
ever, the board will probably compel
a report of the person to whom the
animal was sold, and any future sales,
so that the COW may be kept track of,
and the board may know what is being
done with her. Should any person.,
knowing the COW to have been con-
demned, ever offer milk from her for
sale, serious trouble under a state law
is in store for such owner or person
if detection follows.