Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-18

startling report. the frat In
series OF tests Of all the butter manu-.
featured and sold in the State of Yer.
mont for the purpose Of ascertain,ne
whether or not the butter ia carrying
the germs Of tuberculosis. has lust
been completed at the State Labors.
tory Of Hygiene.
The report shows that out Of a tes,
Of ten samples Of butter being sold
in Burlington. three contained posi-
tive evidence Of tubercule bacilli
while two showed no evidence of the
disease.
These samples Of butter we're pro.
cured by the State laboratory and on
November p number OF guinea pigs
were inoculated with two cubic cent?.
meters each Of the butter. On Janu-
airy autopsies were performed on
the guinea pigs and following is the
official report Of the State laboratory.
showing where the butter came from
and the result Of the tests. The Of
fetal report Is headed Report Of ex-
animation of butter for tubercule
bacilli by incubation in guinea pigs
and IL rs follows:
Cooperative creamery. Essex Cen.
ter. numerous adhesions of liver.
oementum and diaphragm. Tubercule
bacilli found in pus
Dairy butter, Brown & Nay. Under
Hill; inguinial gland broken down
Numerous subcutaneous nodules. Tu-
bercuie bacilli found in pus from
gland
W. B. Johnson creamery. Essex
Junction: subcutaneous abscess. Left
inguinial gland contains large guam
tity pus. Tubercuie bacilli found in
pus from gland
Cooperative creamery. Riverside;
peritoneal and retroperitoneal glands
enlarged. Mesenteric glands enlarged.
Spleen nodular Nodules on diaph-
raEm and liver
Jericho Cooperative creamery. No
evidence Of disease
| Dairy. F. Carpenter. Burlington;
few enlarged peritoneal glands.
Mad River Dairy Essex Junction;
few very small intraperitoneal glands
South Hero creamery: no evidence
OF disease.
Dairy butter. submitted from Rut-
land peritoneal glands enlarged
Large nodule on liver.
Donahue creamery. Monkton: hard
nodular mass involving whole oemen-
tum and kidneys
There are over 2oocreameKies in the State
and the series OF tests Of butter will be
continued at the State laboratory under
the pure food law. aud under the orders
Of the State board Of health.
The tuberculln testing Of dairies In
Burlington. begun last year by Milk In.
~ n
tinued this year with a vim. The State
has an annual appropriation Of $4,000 for
cattle testing. and a fair portion Of this
| has been promised for the work in this
city. There Is a city ordinance that re.
Quires milk dealers to have their cows
tuberculin tested once in two years. anG
the milk inspector proposes to see thai
this ordinance is enforced.
While the general cleanup was we'll be.
gun last year the appropriation be.
came exhausted and since that time some
infected cattle may have crept into the
herds In Burlington, but with fresh ap.
preparation for tuberculin tests. these
will be weeded out and the city at least
may feel reasonably sure OF obtaining
clean milk.
This situation. however does not apply
to the city's butter There is no State
law that compels farmer who sells milk
to have his herd tuberculin tested and
there ia no law that compels a creamery
owner 10 pasteuriEe the bi-product Of the
supply brought in from the farm. IN
other words. under existing conditions,
farmers may have among their herds In
fected cows and they may take the milk
from these cows to creamery. whore II
Ia skinned. The cream IL used for maxi
ing butter and the SKINNED milk Is put
into a tank along with SKINNED milk
from other sources and this Is returned
to tho farmers. II Is impossible for the
farmer TO receive back the same
skinned milk and In this way there Is a
wide chance of infection among cattle
as this SKINNED milk Is fed to young
stock. The butter made from the milk
brought into creameries In this way is
sold in Burlington and all through the
State. and there is now nothing to pre-.
vent the sale Of such butter or the ex'
change Of tubercular infected cattle oy
sale among milk dealers.
II has been demonstrated that tubercle
baclli will live in butter In cold storage
for months The same danger from in
fected beef does not exist, as much
OF the danger is eliminated by the cook
Ing process,
In 1905 law was passed requiring
tina, all bi-products OF creameries he
pasteurzed In 1910 this law was re-
pealed. Under present conditions cream
cries may obtain milk from INFESTED
COWS and return the bi-product 10 farm
ers without treatment. A State test for
cattle was In force some years ago
and the diaries we're fast being
brought into line when the law was
modified. II is claimed that conditions
are fast slipping back where they were
before the State test was required. The
city milk inspector enforces the ordin-
ance relating to milk IN Burlington and
It is felt that the State must take some
step toward establishing a rigid test sys-
tenn OF cattle. Burlington. 1t Is under
stood. is the only city In the State that
has an ordinance requiring the testing OF
cattle once In every two years.
One method whereby farmers might
aid In the crusade against infected milk
has been suggested by the cattle
commi ssioner. The milk could be skim
med at home and only the cream
taken to the creameries. thereby avoid
Ing the danger Of the SKINNED milk be-
coming infected at the creamery through
being mixed with the bi-product from