The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1913-01-10
Talks 20 Tenn
essee Farmer S
By Capt. T. F. Peck, Com
missioner of Agri, ul-
ture.
Bovine tuberculosis
BY GEo Z WHITE, NJ. d, D. V.
s., STATE LIVE STOCK INSPECTOR

s., STATE LIVE STOCK INSPECTOR
Since Bovine Tuberculosis il ;
contagious disease of cattle which
readily transmitted from COW L
man through the medium of mill
and meat it is a disease of much
importance from a human health as
we'll az an economic viewpoint.
Bovin tuberculosis is gradually on
the increase in Tennessee. It is
becoming more and more wide.
spread each and everv year. 1t is
cheaper to eradicate Tun. rculosis
now than it will ever be again. 1t
is to cattle owners interest from
a purely dollars and cents stand
point to eradicate tuberculosis from
his herd to say nothing of the pro.
lection of the milk consuming public
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 Chol
era will put him out of the hog
raising business 1t requires
somewhat longer time to do it be-
cause tuberculosis Is more slow
developing disease. The Twentieth
Century dairyman and cattle owner
can not afford to allow even one
tubercular COW to remain in his
herd because one disaaspd COW now
may mean five, ten or even twenty
diseased COWS six months or year
from now. Remember that there
is absolutely no external or ph, sical
symptom or sign of tuberculosis iE
cattle. Some of the fattest aud ap-
parently thriitiesU looking animals
are rotten" with Tuberculosis,
whereas some of the poorest "old
skates'' on the farm are entirely
free from this disease. Fat is no
sign that a cow is tubercular, neith-
er is being poor any sign that she is
affected with Tuberculosis. The
tuberculan test is the on y means by
which any one is able to diagnose
tuberculosis with anv degree of
certainty in cattle. The teberculin
test is harmless when applied to
healthy cattle. The tuberculin it.
self is the chemical product of the
tubercle bacilli. It is a sterile pro-
duct. There is no live germs in it.
When injected into a healthy COW it
has no effect, but when injected in
to tubercular or diseased one it
causes an elevation of the tpmpera-
ture of at least two degrees. The !
tuberculin test is made about as
follows: Begin taking temperatures
at 3 p. m. today, take the tempera-
ture again at 6 p. m. These two !
post temperatures are taken in order
to determine the normal tempera,
ture of each individual COW. In.
ject the requisite amount of tuber
culin with hypodermic syringe at
6 p. m. Take the temperature
again on the 18th, 18th and 18th
hour after the injection of tn 5erculin
which will be at 6 a. m.. 8 a m.
and II m. tomorrow. If at any
time tomorrow the temperature rises
two degrees above hat it is today
it indicates tuberculosis in 80 cases
out of every 100. In my opinion it
is possible and entirely practical at
\ reasonable expense and in short
period of time, to entirely eradicate
Bovine tuberculosis from the dairy
md breeding herds of this State
The present and future welfare of
he live stock industry of Tennessee
to say nothing of safe guarding
he peoples health-demands that
he spread OF this disease be check
d.
All good citizens should encourage
he passage of the necessary laws
md making and adequate appro-
,riation to the State Agricultural !
Department. to enable it to take the
necessary steps for the control. sup
preston and eradication of Bovine
rub rculosis without further delay.
The present and future welfare OF
he cattle industry demands it.
The farmers, as we'll as the milk
:. -. - n~.o,3 ,1ocox, aho,,1I ha 'C.ot !