The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-01
tuberculosis Of Dairy Cattle.

In the present movement for the eradi'
cation of tuberculosis from South Carolina
one important source Of danger has evi.
IDENTITY received little consideration the
tuherculous COW.
While some difference Of opinion exists
regarding the danger Of intertransmisibi-
lily Of tuberculosis, most Investigators
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 con-
tract tuberculosis when human tubercle
bacilli are injected into their bodies and,
as bovine tubercle bacilli are frequently
recovered from the tissues Of the human
body, it seems that the transmisibility OF
the disease must be admitted.
AS dairy products form an important
part Of the diet Of practically all persons
and in some instances the entire diet OF
infants, the tuberculous dairy cow cannot
DO overlooked in a fight against the white
plague.
apparently healthy condition are often
efectedwith tuberculosis and, asthe disease
progresses slowly, may live for years
without causing their owner to even sus-
pect the presence Of the disease. In the
mean time, however, the cattle may be
discriminating tubercle .bacilli, injecting
the milk as we'll as their surroundings
It was formerly believed that unless
cattle were affected with tuberculosis OF
the udder the milk could be safely used
but recent Investigations have shown the
fallacy Of this belief. DR., Schroeder OF
recently shown that faces from apparently
healthy cattle contain large numbers of
tubercie baeilli which have undoubtedly
found their way from the diseased lungs
to the mouth and throat and thence to
the intestines. In view Of the fact that
that milk Is almost invariably contamina-
ted with faces, 1t now seems that this Is
the most common channel by which tuber-
Gle bacilli infect milk.
Experiments have shown that tubercle
retain their virulence for q much longer
time In dairy products than In the body
discharges and DR.. Schroeder has also
remain virulent In butter for q period OF
Eve months. Bearing In mind that cream
ami butter as we'll as milk may contain
v~irulent tubercle bacill, it Is not difficult
TO see how bovine tubercle bacilli may gain
entrance to the human body. In this con-
nection 1t might be we'll to state that DR..
Ravenel, q native OF South Carolina, was
one Of the first to show that tubercle
bacilli q pass through the intestinal
wall without injuring the same and even.
tually reach the lungs and other organs
Of the body.
eases Of dairy cattle, 1t Is practically i'm
possible to diagnose tuberculosis by a ply
steal examination unless the animal Is in
an advanced stage of the disease. For
tunately, however, the tuborculin test en-
ables competent veterinarians to detect
/ the disease In its 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 result,
Tuberculin also makes possible the en-
actment OF city and town ordinances for
/ protection of public health by prohibiting
the sale Of milk from cattle which are thus
shown to be affected with tuberculosis.
0~ireenville and %Spartanburg are the only
cities In South Carolina having such Or
dfnances.)
At the present time thirty-three states
incl uding South Carolina) have requiring
the testing Of all dairy and breeding cattle
and their freedom from tuberculosis be-
fore they are allowed to enter those states,
Laws Of this kind, by preventing impor.
tation OF tuberculous dairy cattle, place
the individual states In q position to begin
systematic eradication Of the disease, and
as nineteen states passed such laws with
in. the past year, this indicates the awak'
ening Of the people and a great advance
In q national campaign against tuber
culous dairy cow. .
M. Ray Powers
State Veterinarian