The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-26
Use TUBERCUL|NE
ALL OVER STATE
State Veterinarian Has Sub
mitted an Interesting
Report on Matter.
8,72O cows WERE TESTED
IN iNDiANA'S NORTHERN coUN-
TIES THE PERCENTAGE OF RE.
ACTING ANIMALS WAS s.e, LOW.
Err THAN EXPECTED.
Palladium Specially

very interesting article in the Monthly
Bulletin of the State Board of Health
on the subject of testing cows for tu-
berculosis. The article says:
Last year nearly 1900 COWS were
tested for tuberculosis in this state
Official tests were made on $40 head
in Lake. Porter and adjoining counties,
Fl. Wayne tested nearly 300 head.
various places and the remainder were
conducted in private practice. The
S.I2o cows in the northwest section
were divided into 500 herds and 757
reacting animals were found in 26s
herds. The percentage of reacting an
imals was So or lower than might
have been expected but the percentage
| or infected herds, IS per cent. was
very high. At Fort Wayne only Il
per cent. of the herds were found to
be infected, but 10 per cent. reacted.
This probably more nearly represents
the conditions found throughout the
| state.
| The tests in the northwest section of
the state have special value in that
they include nearly the entire bovine
population of that section. In 49,
herds, or one-third of those tested
there were only one or two reacting
COWS, total of 245 head. or just one
third of the entire number of reactors
These herds could have been freed
from disease by sale or slaughter at
| 70 G, I
stead of only >, per cent. of the herds
being free it could be easily increased
to - per cent. the first year. The 20
| herds having the highest number Of
reactors had 262 diseased COWS or more
than the 1S5 herds. These highly in
! fected herds had been kept togethe"
! for a long time or had been made up
! to large extent from purchases at
the stockyards. They serve to show
what may be expected to occur in the
other herds unless some measures are
! taken to eliminate the infection.
The last locality at which testin ,
was done. ont of -f!'': COWS tested 80
reacted. III were slaughtered ard 20
! condemned as unfit: for food. Al even
moro startling record than this Wa
: found. A man took - hogs to mar
Eet. and upon slaughter and federal IN
spettiOn -, We're found to be diseased
with incipient tuberculosis I We're con
demned as unfit for food. An nspc"-
! ton of the premises was made and d,
suspicious looking steer killed and we'll
developed LESSONS of tuberculosis wer2
| found. Seven head of cattle We're
{ oct I I hno IF tl,n
: of the hogs reacted. The family COW
two of the hogs and some apparently
sick shoats were slaughtered and all
! had clear cases of the disease. At this
time there We're - head of cattle and
300 hogs on the farm. Later 1874 Of the
! hogs were unlawfully sent out of the
state. and upon inspection the follow
| ing record is obtained: One packer
bought 1872 head and 100 were diseased.
81 being condemned: another packer
! bought one and it was condemned: II
head were reshipped to one point and :
condemned. and IL became mixed with
another lot and the record lost. Late
IL head of cattle were taken to market
for slaughter , were killed and found
to be diseased and the butcher refused
to kill the remainder The 10 re
naming head and one other were then
shipped to another point and on post
mortem Is were found to be diseased.
Still later other cattle were shipped,
3 of which were found to be diseased
and were condemned. The inspec-
tor visiting the premises reported that
the chickens were diseased: the own
=: IL 4
the statement is given that the cause
was throat trouble" There are still
other chapters to be added to this rec
/ ord
/ One of the results of the testing dur
ing the past year has been to develop
a good economical system. The usual
method of taking temperatures for a
period of fortnight hours. limited the
work to small numbers and made the
cost amount to from one to three dol
lars per head. 1t was found that the
work can be done in one day, and that
the cost need not exceed 80 cents per
head. Two men can test between 200
and go head per week. Upon this
basis. city the size of Lafayette could
test all the herds furnishing its milk
supply in a few weeks and at a cost
not to exceed $500.
The law enacted by the last legisla
ture provides that any dairyman MAJ
have his herd tested at actual cost IN
the event diseased cattle are found he
has three options: LIST. To prepare
the affected animal or animals for mar
ket and to sell subject to post-mortem
| examination. The federal rules and
regulations shall govern the inspection.
If the animal passes as fit for food he
receives its market value: if it fails to
pass. he can recover only the value Of
the hide and body as fertilizer I'd
He can retain his cows for dairy pur-
poses provided the milk be pasteurized
in a manner approved by the State
Board Of Health. No animal shown
any physical evidence of disease can
be used in such manner 3rd. He
may retain valuable breeding stock for
| breeding purposes under conditions ap-
proved by the state veterinarian. The
state makes no compensation for dis
eased animals EXCEPT when condemned