Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-03-11
DR.. I. B. ROGERS ON
TUBERCULOSIS Of CATTLE

tOOAtVO6O0t0 VI vii ~ =
Mr.. Editor:
In reply to your request for infor-
nation regarding tuberculosis of cat
tie, | beg to submit the following:
1st. In my opinion the functions
of the State Tuberculosis Commits
sion should be transferred to the State
Board of Health.
End. AS an opinion unsupported by
facts to back it up is worthless, l
submit
g. The inspection of inshipped cattle
by the present method is inefficient
in that by allowing financial connection
between the shipper and inspector,
and allowing the shipper to choose
his own inspector, it opens a way for
loose administration of the law. The
State should designate the inspector,
compensate him and charge the ship
per for the permit
4th. The practice of the Commits
sion in not destroying all the reacting
animals in herd, leaving the best
looking reactorS to contaminate a
healthy remainder, is absolutely un-
sanitary and unscientific.
9TH The attempts at isolation of
reacting animals and their use for
fattening calves, however practicable
in those European countries where a
sufficient police power is provided to
strictly enforce the law, is here abb
solutely impracticable
9th. To properly conduct bu-
reau for the control of contagious
disease implies the employment there
on, in both the advisory and executive
capacity, of medical men or veterin-
arians, or preferably both. The at
tempt of lay men-hoWever well in
formed in other directions-to pass
upon questions necessitating a high
grade medical education must neces-
sarily end in failure. In the TWEEN
tiety century, a man unversed in med
icine cannot successfully emulate Sir
Francis Bacon and take all know
ledge to be my province
7th. The attempt to gather the ag-
ricultural interests into clan on this
matter, by holding it up as a purely
agricultural proposition fraught with
danger to the farmer if taken from his
hands, is poppy cock, pure and simple.
1t is a medical matter, involving the
health of man, and while the dairy
business is important and necessary,
and while no restrictions should be
laid on it other than those demanded
by the protection of the public, | sub
NIT that the business of raising heal
thy children is somewhat more inn
portant, after all.
Sth. The present method of slaugh-
ter and compensation has been going
on for ten years and if it has lessened
the number of tubercular cattle in
the State l haven't been able to notice
it. The Rosengarten herd has been
cleaned out four times. The entire
appropriation made to the Commission
last year could, l believe, have been
expended in single county, leaving
sufficient tubercular animals within
its borders to incubate another lot
for another year.
9th. The State Board of Health
has control of milk inspection, dairy
inspection, meat inspection and also
control of all other contagious dis
eases of animals. Why separate bu-
reau should be necessary to handle
tubercle, needs an answer. I can't
give one; ask the commission. l can
only say that private business con-
Quoted on like lines would be apt to
end in the receivers hands.
10th. Unless the inspection of in
shipped cattle is made much more
stringent it is waste of money to
pay for cattle killed within the State.
Those familiar with mythology will
remember the story of gentleman
named Hercules who tried to clean
out the Augeau stable when the muck
was thrown in faster than he could
throw it out.
18th. The attempt to emulate con-
tinental countries in allowing the sale
of tubercular beef without taking the
precautions followed abroad, is
fraught with danger and fraudulent
on the face of it. In Germany, tuber-
cular beef is sold under declaration"
in shops set apart for it and it is sold
for what it is. Here it is sold as
healthy beef, sold as what it isn't. |
have asked many people if they would
eat it if they knew it. The answer
was invariably no! but if anyone
would like to live on it and will send
his address I will try as occasion
arises to keep him supplied. Prof.
Rosenberg, of Jefferson Medical Col
lege, has lately demonstrated the
presence of the germ of tubercle in
the blood of both man and animal in
all cases of tubercular infection. This
being the case, most careful cooking
would be necessary to eliminate risk,
and then, good Lord! are we reduced
to the eating of this filth? Let the
people of the State answer.
18th. Finally, if after this, any
body thinks that our tubercular COM
mission is run on modern lines,
have nothing to say, argument would
be useless. Very truly,
T. B. ROGERS, D. ". s.
Woodbury., N. j.. March 4, 1909
-SS