The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-28
TUBERCULOSIS OF DAIRY CAT.
TIE.
Clemson Extension WOrk-Article
VIII,

| IN the present movement for the
eradication Of tuberculosis from
South Carolina one important source
Of danger has evidently received little
consideration-the tuberculosis cow.
While some difference of opinion
exists regarding the danger Of inter-
transmisibility Of tuberculosis, most
Investigators are convinced that 1t is
possible for the disease to be trans
mitted from cattle to human beings.
European and American scientists
have shown that healthy cattle con-
tract tuberculosis when human tuber-
Gle bacilli are injected into their
bodies and, as bovine tubercle bacilli
are frequently recovered from the tis-
sues OF the humanb ody, it seems that
the transmisibility of the disease must
be admitted.
AS dairy products form an impor-
tant part Of the diet Of practically all
persons and in some instances the en-
tire diet of infants, the tuberculous
dairy cow cannot be overlooked in a
fight against the white plague.
Unfortunately cattle which are in
an apparently healthy condition are
often affected with tuberculosis and,
as the disease progresses slowly, may
live for years without causing their
owners to even suspect the presence
OF the disease. In the mean time,
however, the cattle may be dissemin-
ating tubercle bacilli, injecting the
milk as we'll as their surroundings.
1t was formerly believed that un-
less cattle were affected with tuber-
culosis Of the udder the milk could
be safely used, but recent invsetiga-
tions have shown the fallacy of this
belief. DR.. Schroeder of the United
States Department of Agriculture has
recently shown that faces from ap-
parently healthy cattle contain large
numbers Of tubercle bacilli which
have undoubtedly found their way
from the diseased lungs to the mouth
and throat and thence to the intes-
tines. In view of the fact that milk is
almost invariably contaminated with
faces, it now seems that this is the
most common channel by which
tubercle bacilii infect milk.
Experiments have shown that tub
; ercle bacilli retain their virulence for
a much longer time in dairy products
than in the body discharges and DIR.
Schroeder has also proved that tuber-
Gle bacilli may live and remain viru-
lent in butter for a period of five
months Bearing in mind that cream
and butter as we'll as milk may con-
tain virulent tubercle bacilli. IL is not
difficult to see how bovine tubercle
bacilli may gain entrance to the hu-
man body. In this connection 1t
might be we'll to state that DR.. Rav-
enel, a native Of South Carolina, was
one of the first to show that tubercle
bacilli can pass through the intestinal
: wall without injuring the same and
: eventually reach the lungs and other
organs Of the body.
: Although one Of the most common
diseases Of dairy cattle, it is practi--
cally impossible to diagnose tubercu-.
losis by physical examination unless
the animal is in an advanced stage
OF the disease. Fortunately. however,
the tuberculin test enables competent
veterinarians to detect the disease iu
It's early stages. This test. whar
properly conducted, enables the cartle
owner to discover tuberculous cows
and remove them from his herd, thus
preventing spread of the disease
which would otherwise result.
Tuberculin also makes possible the
enactment Of city and town ordinances
Tor protection Of public health by
prohibiting the sale of milk from cat
tie which are thus shown to be af-
fected with tuberculosis. (GreenviIle
and Spartanburg are the only cities in
South Carolina having such ordi-
: nances.)
AT the present time thirty-three
States Gncluding South Carolina)
have laws requiring the testing of all
dairy and breeding cattle and their
freedom from tuberculosis before
they are allowed to enter these
States. Laws of this kind, by pre-
venting the importation of tubercu-
lous dairy cattle, place the Individual
States in position to begin system
attic eradication of the disease, and as
nineteen States passed such laws
Within the past year, this indicates
the awakening Of the people and a.
great advance in a national campaign,