The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-12-02
DANGER FROM
DISEASED CATTLE
FORMER VETERINARIAN
PUBLISHES REPORT OF
WORK DONE.
Dairy Industry of Indiana is
Menaced by Purchase of Cows
from Chicago Stockyards.

indianapolis. Nov. 30.-Prof. A
w. Biting of Purdue university
former state veterinarian has
published in the current monthly
bulletin of the state board OF
health a report of the work done
by him in the last twelve months
in office, showing that during
the year thirteen thousand COWS
were tested for tuberculosis.
Most OF the tests, amounting to
S,120 cases. were made in the
north west part OF the state,
among the dairy herds supplying
milk to Chicago and outlying
cities and towns.
In these tests $50 herds werc
examined and tuberculosis found
in 26S herds, 751 COWS being
found anecteu. Professor Biting
explains this condition Dy the fact
that the territory is comparative
" new as a dairy center. and by
the additional fact that the herds
have been built up largely from
stock purchased from the stock
yards in Chicago. He uses the re-
suit of his observations in this
section as a basis for declaring
that the state ought to take some
proper step to prevent the spread
OF the disease in Indiana from
such a prolific source as the Chi
cago yards.
In order to show what danger
Gus conditions may result from
the tubercular animals in herd
used either for dairy or beef p,ir-
poses, Prof. Biting relates the
following as a result OF the study
Of situation found on a farm in
the east part OF the state:
Result of Investigation.
"A man took % hogs to market
and upon slaughter and federal
inspection % were found TO be
diseased with incipient tubercu-
losis, found were condemneb as
unfit for food. An inspection OF
the premises was made and a sus-
piciOus looking steer was killed
and well developed LESSONS of tu-
berculosis were found. Seven
head OF cattle wer; tested and ten
hogs; four OF the cattle and FIVE
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 were % head OF
cattle and 200 hogs on the farm.
Later 164 of the hogs were UNI
lawfully sent out OF the state,
and upon inspection the follow
ing record is obtained: One pack
er bought 1872 head and 100 were
diseased, 81 being condemned; Is
heal were reshipped to one
point and eight condemned, and
Is became mixed with another
lot and the record lost. Later
13 head of cattle were taken to
market for slaughter; three were
killed and found to be diseased,
and the butcher refused to kill
the. remainder. !.
The ten remaining head and
one other were then shipped to
another point, and on post NOR
tenn six were found to be diseas-
ed. Still later other cattle were
shipped, seven of which were
found to be diseased and four
wer condemned. The inspector
visitin gthe premise reported that
the chickens we're diseased; the
owner has died since the trouble
began and the statement is given
that the cause was throat trouble.
There are still other chapters to
be added to this record"
Professor Biting closes his re-
port by saying that the state has
good law for handling tuber-
culosis in farm animals, much
better than most other states.
by the enactment OF local or
dinances," he says, most of the
cities could nave a tested milk
supply in very short time The
season for doing this work is at
hand and will continue until
about April L.
Another Long Distance Charun.