Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1920-07-08
TUBERCULOSIS In CATTLE

tuberculosis is a widespread dis
ease affecting animals and also man
Cattle are the most susceptible of all
animals. tuberculosis is contagious
or catching" 1t spreads from COW
to cow in a herd until most of them
are affected. This may not attract
much notice from the owner as the
disease is slow to develop and COW
may be affected with it for several
months and sometimes years before
any signs of i'll health are to be seen.
This slow development is the chief
reason for the great loss it causes
the farmer. He does not suspect its
presence in his herd until perhaps
large number are diseased. If the
disease developed rapidly and caused
death in few days, the owner would
soon take steps to check its progress
and protect the rest of his herd.
tuberculosis is slow and hidden in
its course and thus arouses no sus-
picion until great damage is done.
The Importance of the disease
must be estimated from two points
of view, first, the loss it entails up
on the cattle owner, and second, the
danger of communication to human
| beings. The loss to the owner is
evident when COW dies of the dis
ease, or when an apparently healthy
COW is slaughtered for beef and
found so badly affected as to be un-
| fit for food. The calves in such a
herd do not long remain healthy.
They catch the disease before they
are many months old and are a
source of loss instead of gain. The
danger of infection of human beings
with tuberculosis from cattle is of
vital Importance to every commun-
ity. Milk is the staple food of infants
and young children and is usually
taken in the raw state. If this milk
is from a tuberculous COW, it may
contain millions of living tubercle
germs. Young children fed on such
milk often contract the disease, and
it is frequent cause of death among
them.
tuberculosis develops so slow ,
ly that in many cases it is months !
and sometimes years before any .
symptoms are shown. During this !
period the infected animals can not
be distinguished from the healthy in
any ordinary way. There is test,
however, which does no harm to
the healthy yet detects the diseased
practically without fail. This is
known as the tuberculin test because
he substance used in making it is
jailed tuberculin. The method now
lsed almost exclusively in making
he test is called the intradermal.
The tuberculin is injected into the
tnimal in one of the caudal folds of
kin at the base of the tail and then
N observation is made at the end
# seventy-two hours. If a swelling
ppears at the point of injection at
he seventy-second hour the animal
5 reactor.
VIII you, Mr.. Farmer, cooperate
nth the Farm Bureau in the move
D eradicate tuberculosis from the
erds of Payette County? Remember
nat 1t costs nothing to have your
attic tested and that the State and
ederal Departments of Agriculture /
ill pay you an indemnity on all re- a
ctors slaughtered. The amount /
aid you will vary up to $50 for
ich grade animal and up to 500
IT each purebred animal that is IL
in addition to this the
.lvage of the animals carcass what
rer it may be is yours The veteri- v
lrian doing the testing will also
the appraising and supervise the
aughter of the tuberculous animals
This campaign will be conducted
August and each community will
assigned certain days on which
e cattle in that community will be
sted. DR.. j. e. Ellis, Federal Vet
marian, in charge of the tubercu.
Sis work in Idaho will be here to
nduct the work. Plan now to
We your cattle tested, phone to the q
Irm Bureau office, 241, giving =
ur name, community and number g
head of cattle. q