The Washington times., 1910-02-05
DAIRYHEN OBJECT
TO REGULATIONS
Say Virginia and Maryland
Producers Have an
Advantage.
CContinued from First Page)

at our own expense
Competition With Infection
''The recent agitation as TO the high
price of milk" continued Mr.. oyster,
can be traced back to this condition
The small dealers in Maryland and Viz
/ zinia. whose COWS are infected and
from whom the large washington deal
/ eTs have refused to purchase milk must
sell their milk al cut rates TO the small
dairymen- Therefore, We must not only
pay to have COWS inspected If We would
insure freedom from tuberculosis, bat
must compete with prices OF infected
farms that can sell their milk cheaper
The danger from this infected milk
according TO physicians, Is even greater
than that from infected beef which
comes from the cows killed because they
fail in the tUberculin test.
A protest from dairymen that the
cows condemned as tUbercular were
being put on the market by butchers
and that they were probably eating the
meat from their OWn cows considered
too sick to give good milk started the
inquiry as TO the source OF Washing
tons milk supply
Beef From Injected Cattle.
The dairymen declared that not only
was the beef from their cattle being sold
after the cattle had been condemned,
but that, mad their farms been moved
a few miles across the District line
they could have continued 70 sell their
milk with impunity-
Physicians declare the menace from
infected milk is even greater than that
from the beef OF infected cattle
To nv mind - declared DIT. a d
Melvin, chief OF the Bureau OF Animal
Industry. under whose direction the an
Ji-tuberCular fight is being Wageds the
danger from infected milk is much
greater than that from beef / do not
admit that there is any danger from
eating meat from parts Of q COW that
has only tuberculosis in one Of its or
gans- But surprising the beef and the
milk be equally Infected the danger 1----
the beef would still be less because meat
IS cooked before II is eaten. while that
is rarely done with milk
Test Is Defended.
The claim made by daIrymen that the
ruberculin test was not conclusive, and
that many COWS killed were not infect
ed by the disease was cambated BY
Dr.. Melvin
Though eminent French scientists do
not agree with us, We claim that the
tuberculin test 3 as nearly accurate as
any diagnosis can be- II was adopted
BY the Department of Agriculture after
It had been tried in more than 1900
cases and had been found 20 be cor
rect in q per cent Of those cases
The dairymen OF the district" de
clared DR.. Melvin, haven't very much
right TO complain, anyway, as 70 the
amounts paid them for their cattle
In many States cattle are cut down AID
no reimbursement IS made at all 1
don't think any diseased COW could 5e
worth much more than SO 10 any one,
and that is the minimum price paid for
On Tnrr rod
For nOn-registeTed cattle the maximum
Prices Paid Owners.
Dr. Melvin explained that for cattle
which could be placed on the market
in whole or in part % per cent less
salvage was paid owners For cattle
that had 70 be totally destroyed 40 per
cent OF the appraisement less salvage,
was paid
are sold in accordance with a section
Of the order Of the Commissioners which
reads as follows
II any auir1aI is found upOn posi-
mOrtem inspection not to be affected
with tuberculosis. the carcass and 9TH
er edible portions shall De passed for
food II any animal Is found. upon
posI-mOTtem inspection 70 be affected
with tuberculosis. ard the LESSONS are
such that the carcass and parts Of the
carcass are passed for food, the owners
shall sell the same for a reasonable
price"
Dr. Melvin said he believed the in
SpeCtOTs of the department who were
graduates of veterinary colleges and
were paid from S1,40o TO 500 a year,
were competent 70 make the fine dis
Iinctions between beef that was only
partly afTecJS& and that which was in
the ripe stages - tuberculosis
tuberculosis L7@aI Trouble
Seldom, If ever. is the presence Of
bovine tuberculosis general throughout
the system said Dr. George N. Kober.
a member of the Board Of Charities. and
one of the foremost tuberculosis experts
in this country. when asked regarding
the practice Of selling beef. cut from
condemned COW, for table use
The disease is almost entirely con
fined to local parts. generally in the
lungs. or the intestines. or the various
glands. It is rare thai the bacilu ex-
tend to the muscles" Dr. kOber con
tinued- 1T would be a gross neglect, or
disregard for economy e the unaffected
parts of q condemned COW could not be
sold after being cut away
Il have the highest regard for the
ability and integrity OF the inspectors
Of the Department OF Agriculture en-
gagged IN the work If cOndemning mich
cows responding 10 the tuberculosis
tests. and who permit Of the sale TO
butchers of the CniEfected parts These
men are trained IN their work ard are
well able 10 determine the extent Of
tuberculosis trouble and to cut II away
This so-ca1Ied cutting is only done by
the inspectors
Branding r 4uiIed In Germany.
There Is a government law in Ger
many which requires the declaration Of
meats cut from cattle condemned for
answering TO the tuberculin test This
law requires the butchers 20 brand or
1oraI erYrT. meats in order that the
buyer may know what he is purchas-
ing, and at the same time, get the ben
EFT Of a slight reduction IN price, be
cause the meat is generally bought by
the butcher at q reduced price.
I would be glad 70 see a law in this
country requiring the declaration OF this
kind of meat" concluded Dr. kOber-
Dr. G IIoyd MagTU6ers one Of the
leading medical and scientific men of
Washington and who IS an authority on
the relation OF milk to health. believes
there is no harm in the practice COM
planned Of by the milk dealers OF Con-
eress Heights He has absolute conf
dcuce in the Government inspectors
and like Dr. Kober explained the ne