The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-09-24

in germ proof receptacles. This
liquid contains the poisons made by
the bacilli and stewed out OF their
bodies. When injected into a tuber-
culous cows system il causes disturb
ance which indicates the presence of
tuberculosis. Such animals are called
''reactors.'
Under ordinary circumstances this
test Is made once a year: conditions
sometimes make necessary more fire.
Quent tests but not often. II a COW
does not give a complete reaction she
is usually held suspicious and retested
at frequent intervals.
Those which react to an extreme
must be destroyed. The others may
be quarintined and utilized for food,
for breeding purposes, or even for
dairy purposes under strict super
vision and perfect pasteurization of
milk. This method of quarantine, call
ed the Bang system" was used with
success in Denmark. the world S
greatest dairy nation.
InfaIibIe Test.
The tuberculin test is almost in
fallible. DR.. Mohler writes:
'TuberCulin test is the best dianos-
tic agent known for disease"
Another authority, Dr.. f. S.
Schroeder says, After years of OBJ
servation the tuberculin test has been
found to be more nearly infallible
means for diagnosing tuberculosis
than any we have in diagnosing dis
eases of men and animals"
AS result of this method an &C
curate diagnosis may be established
in over 81 percent of the cases test
ed" Or. Melvin showed that out of
23S69 reactors 235S5 showed tuber-
culosis LESSONS making a PERCENTAGE
of 1881,
Where the animal has reacted but
does not show tuberculosis on post
norton examination the cause of the
failure may usually be traced to care
'essness in administering, or because
the animal had been tested too re-
Gently, or to other illness. In come
states trouble has been experienced
with the practice of plugging" If a
large dose of tuberculin has been in
jected into an animal in the most adj
vanced stage she will not react for
some time. In this way interruptions
dairymen have gotten rid of diseased
stock at regular market prices.
Test is Harmless.
The tuberculin test is harmless TO
the healthy COW. 1t does not inter
fere with her milk production or af-
feet her in any way. According to the
federal bulletins:
"Tuberculin interferes In no way
with the milking functions in healthy
cattle nor in quantity of milk nor in
butterfat value. The station has
tested cattle, hogs, horses, donkeys,
goats, sheep, and some other kinds of
animals and has injected doses OF
tuberculin fifty to one hundred times
as large as those customarily used for
a tuberculinn test, and not one of the
numerous trials was followed by any
injury to a healthy animal
Laws Opinion.
Law. in his Text Book of Veterinary
Medicine, writes:
Many stock owners still entertain
an ignorant and unwarranted dread or
the tuberculin test. 1t is true that
when recklessly used by ignorant and
careless people it may be made root
of evil yet as employed by an in
telligent and careful expert it is not
only perfectly safe, but it Is the only
known means of ascertaining approx
mately the actual number in, given
herd. In most infected herds, living
under what are in other respects good
hygienic conditions, two-thirds or
three-fourths are not to be detected
without it's aid, so that in clearing a
herd from tuberculosis, and placing
both herd and products above suspi-
cion, the test becomes essential"
Tuberculin is manufactured by the
government and supplied free
through the state departments to any
dairy inspector desiring it, provided
he is a veterinarian. In such cases
the test costs the dairyman nothing
except the possible loss of COW.