The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1909-03-20

In combating tuberculosis of do
mesticated animals, two methods are
open for consideration:
l. Destruction OF the casual organ
ism, the tubercle bacillus, by eliminat-
ing the already diseased animals and
disinfecting the infected premises.
2. Possible methods of producing
immunity in susceptible animals by
rendering them resistant to the tuber-
Gle organism.
The first method is easily attainable
by the detection of the presence of the
disease by means of the tuberculin
test and the subsequent separation of
affected animals. In this way the con.
tinued spread of this scourge can be
entirely prevented. AS no known
method of cure exists for the disease
in cattle, animals once infected must
be isolated from healthy stock to pre-,
vent further spread of contG Sion. To
remove all further danger from the
disease, thorough disinfectiCn of the
quarters occupied by the tuberculous
animals is imperative.
With certain other diseases, meth
DDS Of vaccination have already been
perfected, the efficiency of which is so
great as to practically control such
maladies. Diphtheria antitoxin, vac
cinatiOn against smallpox, the Pasteur
treatment for rabies and anthrax are
potent illustrations of the efficiency
of immuniZing the bodies of suscepti-
BILE hosts against the ravages of these
human and animal plaques.
Numerous attempts have been made
by scientific investigation to devise
systems of vaccination against tuber-
culosis that will render susceptible
animals resistant to invasion. Within
recent years several investigators have
announced various methods for this
purpose.
In 1902, Won Behring, the prominent
German bacteriologist, announced the
discovery of substance called bovo-
vaccine with which he claimed calves
could be immunized against natural
infection from tuberculosis. Coming
from the discoverer of diphth eria anti
toxin, which remedy so revolutionized
the methods of handling this disease
of childhood, bovovaccine was hailed
with high hopes. Won Behring's ex-
periments, then reported, seemed to
indicate that a successful method of
rendering cattle resistant had at last
been found. In a series of lectures
given in Cassel in 1908, he made the
following sweeping statement: The
entire suppression of bovine tubercu-
losis is now only a question of con-
scientious and properly conducted pro-
tective NEGOTIATIONS, and, of course,
also a matter of time
A year later he published a brief
preliminary report of the results he
had obtained to that date. These
were extremely favorable, and were,
on the whole. apparently substanti-
ated by reports from other investiga-
tors. By means of his method of vac
cination, he was able to raise perfectly
healthy animals even when the latter
were continually exposed to a tuber-
culous environment The true eff
cheney of the vaccine could not be de-
! termined at the time for the animals
had not attained maturity, so that the
! duration of the immunity caused by
| the vaccine could not be ascertained.
Nevertheless the results secured were
exceedingly promising.
| The principle involved in the pro-
duction OF bovovaccine is radically
different from that used in the prepar-
alton of tuberculin. Tuberculin is a
germ-free extract of cultures of tu-