The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-06-09
tuberculosis of Dairy Cattle.


Carolina one important source Of
danger has evidently received little
consideration-the tuberculous COW.
While some difference exists re-
garding the danger of intertransmisl'
bility of tuberculosis, most investiga-
tors are convinced that it is possible
for the disease to be transmitted from
cattle to human beings. European
and American scientists have shown
that healthy cattle contract tuberculo-
sis when human tubercle bacilli are
injected into their bodies, and, as
bovine tubercle bacilli are frequently
removed from the tissues of the hu-
man body, it seems that the transmits
ibility of the disease must be admit
ted.
AS dairy products from 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 meantime,
however, the cattle may be dissent
mating tubercle bacilli, injecting the
milk as we'll as their surroundings.
It was formerly believed that un-
less cattle were affected with tuber-
culosis of the udder the milk could
be safely used, but recent investiga-
tions have shown the fallacy of this
belief. DR.. Schroeder of the u. S.
Department of Agriculture has re-
Gently shown that faces from appar-
emily 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 bacilli infect milk.
Experiments have shown that tu-
bercle bacilli retain their virulence
for much longer time in dairy prod
ucts than in the body discharges and
DR.. Schroeder has also proved that
tubercle bacilli may live and remain
virtulent in butter for period of five
months. Bearing in mind that cream
and butter as we'll as milk may con-
tain virulent tubercle; it, is not diff
ficult to see how bovine tubercle ba-
cilli may gain entrance to the body.
In this connection it might be we'll
to state that DR.. Ravenel, 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 diary cattle, it is practi-
cally impossible to diagnose tubercu-
losis by a physical examination un-
less the animal is in an advanced
stage of the disease. Fortunately,
however, the tuberculin test enables
competent veterinarians to detect the
disease in it's early stages. This test,
when properly conducted, enables the
cattle owners to discover tuberculous
COWS and remove them from his
herd, thus preventing spread of the
disease which would otherwise re-
suit.
Tuberculin also makes possible the
enactment of city and town ordinan-
ces for protection of public health
by prohibiting the sale of milk from
cattle which are thus shown to be af-
fected with tuberculosis. (Greenville
and Spartanburg are the only cities in
South Carolina having such ordinan-
ces.)
At the present time thirty-three
States (including South Carolina)
have laws requiring the testing of
all diary and breeding cattle and their
freedom from tuberculosis before
they are allowed to enter these States.
Laws of this kind, by preventing inn
portation of tuberculous dairy cattle
place the individual States in a po-
sition to begin systematic eradica-
ton of the disease, and as nineteen
States passed such laws within the
past year, this indicates the awaken
ing of fhe neODle and a great advance