The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-04-07
The Tuberculm Test.

The luberculm lest.
In an interview published in the Palladium
evening, Mayor Robbins expresses
fears lest the tuberculin test of dairy herds,
of the provisions of the proposed dairy ordin-
ance, cannot be enforced. He has been told there
are means whereby the tests can be defeated by
dishonest dairymen.
In reply to this, it is only necessary to say the
test has been found practicable where tried. Fort
Wayne is enforcing it's ordinance, Chicago finds
it feasible, Los Angeles, Fort Worth and many
large cities, well states and nations, have
found it possible to enforce tuberculin test
law any other law.
Lord Kelvin demonstrated" by mathematics
that flying machine is impossible. Within ten
years after his statement, Wilbur Wright was
sailing around New York City. The thing was
impossible in theory but it "worked' just the
same. So also with the tuberculin test. Skeptics
and honest doubters, as we'll those opposing it
for selfish reasons have hunted up dozen theor-
les to show the tuberculin test is impossible.
Nevertheless, the test has been found practicable
in actual experience all theories to the contrary
The Mayors doubt takes for granted that
Gairymen will be rascals and scheme to get
around the law. We don't believe they will We
don't believe they can. 1t would be almost i'm
possible thing for a dairyman to defeat the test
and not be found out. They have not succeeded
elsewhere; they will not succeed here. And there
are few of them who would run the risks of
criminal action of that kind, because being
caught would revoke their licenses and ruin their
business.
The mayor also assumes they will know when
the test is to be made. They will not. It is a
custom among sanitarians not to give notice but
to test the herd in it's average condition.
Furthermore, Mayor Robbins assumes dairy
men are opposed to the test. few are, but the
ma ority are in favor of it. They are opposed to
having the test made by an unskilled man or by
q local veterinarian but they are in favor of the
tests, if properly administered 1t is form of
protection for them, enabling them to eradicate
tuberculosis from their herd and thus protect
their other stock as well-horses, pigs, chickens,
are always in danger of Infection
The result has been, according to federal re-
ports, that few years experience with the test
has brought all dairymen to look upon it with
favor.
large percentage of deaths and of illness
among children has been proved traceable to
tuberculosis LESSONS. The only satisfactory meth
cd now in for detecting the infected members
OF dairy herd is the tuberculin test After hav-
ing been used in hundreds of thousands of cases,
it has been found ninety-seven to nnety-eight
per cent efficient. 1t has been successfully used
in hundreds of cities in Europe and America and
IS coming to be demanded by dairymen and stock
breeders everywhere because they are annually
losing millions from tuberculosis.
The mothers and fathers of Richmond are de-
handing this protection for their children. They
believe it to be better that dairyman lose an
average of three cows out of hundred until the
tuberculosis is eradcated than that they should
lose their babies. The most thorough investiga-
tons, after twenty-three years of experience
have convinced federal and state authorities that
the tuberculin test is necessity and practical in
every way and they have given it their unquali-
fled endorsement. There is no reason why Rich
mond people should not benefit by the protection
of this great scientific discovery