The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-03-05
DIR. J. S. Lehr Takes TumOr
from Cow Which Supplied
Cream for Family.
DR.. PATTON URGES A
RIGID INSPECTION
Well-Known Ply stefan Shows
How Infected Milk Kills
It's Consumers.

surgeon, who has inspected herds of
cattle in many sections of Cape Cir
ardeau County, informed The Tribune
last night that he had detected many
mich cows that are suffering from
tuberculosis, and some of them in the
| last stages.
He recently operated on one, the
milk from which was being sold to
residents of Cape Girardeau, and re-
moved from it a tubercular tumor
weighing more than fifty pounds. He
delivered lecture before class at
the Normal school on tuberculosis in
cattle, and during his address exhibit
ed the tumor which was taken from a
cow in a dairy herd.
''The conditions of some of the herds
that supply milk to people living ir
this city are positively shocking" said
DR.. Lehr. Il have found the dairy
men to be in total ignorance of the
symptoms of this dreaded disease,
and they are selling this infected milk
not knowing the danger that may re-
suit.
Zone dairyman summoned me to his
farm short time ago to inspect his
cattle. He realized that something
was wrong with members Of the herd
but he did not think the trouble seri-
Gus. l found each COW suffering from
tuberculosis, and one of them in the
last stage of the disease.
"The cows abdomen was extended
and he imagined she was suffering
from a disease known as bloat.'
tubercular tumor had formed just
over the milk bag, which press
against the stomach and in turn the
stomach was forced against the lungs
This caused the cow to cough, and
gave her the appearance of suffering
from 'bloat.'
Il removed from her tumor weigh
ing exactly fifty-two pounds. 1t was
the largest l have ever seen. 1t had
formed its growth against the milk
bag, and before passing into the mill
chambers, the liquid passed through
| the tumOr. It contained milk after /
| had removed it.
Before performing this operation
had taken a quantity of her milk f.
a test with the tubercular serum pre-
pared by the government. l deposited
six drops of the serum in the milk and
it was almost instantly TRANSFORMED
into fluid resembling albumen. This
showed that the COW had long been
suffering from tuberculosis.
"The farmer asked me if all milk
would not show the same conditions if
subjected to this treatment. To cor
vince him, we had pint of milk taken
from herd of cattle | had examined
and found to be healthy. l placed six
drops of the serum in the milk taken
from the healthy COW and stirred il
thoroughly, but there was no apparent
effect. Then l dropped in an addition
al amount, but still the milk did not
curdle. Then l placed nearly as much
serum in the cup as l had milk, but
the result was the same.
every bit of milk that is consumed
should be examined before it is offer
ed to the public. The dairyman may
sell diseased milk without having thu
knowledge of its condition. l know
from examinations that l have made
that great many herds of cattle in
this county are infected with tubercu-
losis. To sell milk taken from these
cattle is dangerous.
"a COW suffering from tuberculosis
usually shows symptoms of the dis
ease in her eyes. The back part S.,
the ball is usually yellow with fry
red spots scattered over the whole eye
Every herd in the county ought to be
examined and every bit of milk offer
ed for sale should be subjected to q
government test before being con-
sumed."
DR.. w. G. Patton, considered one of
the best read physicians in the state,
was asked last night about the danger
of transmitting tuberculosis from cat
tie to people who consume the milk.
He said milk was one Of the most pow
erful mediums for the distribution of
these germs.
"The bovine germ, however, is not
as virulent as that found in the human
being who has tuberculosis" said DR.
Patton, "but of course, when the germ
has been transmitted from the bovine
to the human body it is just as dam
gerous as if it had been contracted
from a patient suffering from the
disease.
at is nothing short Of criminal !