The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-01-10
TUBERCULOSIS IN
CATTLE D|SCUSStDBY
Or. GEORGE WHITE
Is A SLOWLY DEVELOPING DIS
EASE AND REQUIRES TIME
TO CONTROL.
TUBERCULIN TEST IS HARMLESS
Present and Future Welfare Of Live
Stock Industry Of the State ls In.
voived-Should Encourage Pass
age Of Necessary Laws.

by eco. R. White, M. D., d. v. s.,
-. State Live Stock Inspector.) -.
Since Bovine tuberculosis is a con-
tagious disease Of ,cattle which is
readily transmitted from cow to man
through the medium of milk and meat
it Is disease of much importance
from a human health swell as an
economic view point. Bovine tuber-
culosis Is gradually on the increase
in Tennessee. 1t is becoming more
an more widespread each and every
year. 1t is cheaper to eradicate tu-
berculosis now than it will ever be
again. 1t Is to cattle owners in
terest from purely dollars and cents
standpoint to eradicate tuberculosis
from his herd to say nothing OF the
protection of the milk consuming pub
lie from consumption of tubercular
contaminated milk from such diseas-
ed cows. tuberculosis will put any
man out Of the dairy or cattle rails
ing business as surely as hog cholera
will put him out of the hog raising
longer time to do it because tubercu-
losis is more slowly developing dis
ease. The twentieth century dairy
man and cattle owner cannot afford
to allow even one tubercular cow to
remain in his herd because one dis
eased cow now may mean five, ten
or even twenty diseased COWS six
months or year from now. Re-
member that there Is absolutely no
external or physical symptom or sign
of tuberculosis In cattle. Some of
the latest and apparently thriftiest
looking animals are rotten" with tu-
berculosis, whereas some of the poor
est "old skates" on the farm are en-.
tirely free from this disease. Fat
Is no sign that COW is tubercular,
neither is poor any sign that she is
affected with tuberculosis. The tu-
berculan test Is the only means by
which anuy one is able to diagnose
tuberculosis with any degree Of GER
tainty In cattle. The tuberculin test
is harmless when applied to healthy
cattle. The tuberculin itself is the
chemical product of the tubercle
bacilli. 1t Is sterile product.
There is no live germs in it. When
injected into healthy COW it has
no effect, but when injected into a
tubercular or diseased one 1t causes
an elevation of the temperature of
at least two degrees. In my opinion
tt is possibl and entirely practical at
a reasonable expense and In short
period of time, to entirely eradicate
Bovine tuberculosis from the dairy
and breeding herds Of this State
The present and future welfare OF
the live stock industry of Tennessee
Ito say nothing of safeguarding
the peoples health-demands that
the spread of this disease be check
ed.
All good citizens should encourage
the passage of the necessary law
and making an adequate appropria
ton to the State Agricultural De
partment to enable it to take tn,
necessary steps for the control, sup
preston and eradication of Bovine
: tuberculosis without further delay
J, The present an future welfare of tn,
I cattle industry demands 1t. Tit
) farmers, as well as the milk con
: sumers' slogan should be, "et rid o
I Tuberculosis now"