Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-08-24
OUR DOCTORS FOR.
TUBERCU.lN TEST
Say Cattle From Which t. Supply
Furnished Citizens of A"<z III
Should Undergo Test. ~
COMMERCIAL CLUB
BACKS THEM UP
Matter Has Been Laid Before City
Council, Asked to Have Ordin-
ance Passed Compelling
This Work to be
Done.

The question of whether or not the
dairy cattle from which milk is fur
nished the citizens of Decorah should
undergo the tuberculin test has been
discussed by various doctors at sew
eral meetings of the Decorah Com
mercial Club. The matter has been
laid before the city council to pass
an ordinance to have this work done.
At the Commercial Club meeting
Thursday night the subject was dis
cussed again by Drs. A. +. Fritchen,
Stabo and c.. p. Wilson, and the
doctors seem all agreed that the test
should be made. DR.. Wilson has
given the following facts relative to
bovine tuberculosis and its relation
to mankind.
There are plenty of statistics avail
able showing the transmisability of
bovine t. b. to children up to the
age of 16 years. There are two
types of tuberculosis that are Of int
crest to US, namely the human type
and bovine type.
The human type is transmissable
from man to man, or in other words,
transmitted by close contact within
families.
The bovine type is that type that
is found in COWS and is transmits
able from COW to cow through close
contact (stabling) or transmiSsable
to humans by consumption of milk
and milk products. 1t is also trans
mitted to swine that follow tuber-
cular cattle, or swine that are fed
skim milk from tubercular cattle, or
by combination of the methods or
feeding.
We have several methods of con-
troll of tuberculosis, but due to pre-
sent discussion, the method of con-
trol of bovine tuberculosis will only
be discussed.
The percentage of bovine tuber-
culosis in tubercular children varies
from 20 to 40 per cent, depending
entirely upon the percentage of tub
CIRCULAR cattle from which they de-
rive their daily milk supply. We
may safely make this percent 33
1-3Gs the other sc 2-3%o of tuber-
culosis in children of course is trans
mitted from parents or some men,
ber within the family generally.
This larger percentage can only be
controlled by hygeine and sanitation
within the home. The smaller per-
centage can be controlled and over
come by two ways. First by not
allowing children to consume raw
milk. Second, by allowing them to
consume raw milk from cows that
are known to be free from tuber-
culosis and milk produced in clean
~ manner:
Under the first method Of control
we subject the milk to heat at
temperature of 140 degrees to las
degrees Farenheit for 20 to 80 min
utes, and this is termed pasturiza-
tion. The equipment used, to be
accurate, is expensive, but is adapt
ed to large cities and milk depots
that handle large quantities of'milk.
Pasturization covers a multitude
of sins, but if the sins are left out
they need not be covered by pas
turization. This can be accomplish
ed by the second method of control,
j. e., knowing that cows are free
from tuberculosis and other diseases,
and by producing milk in cleanly
manner.
The tuberculin test applied to cat
tie will determine whether they are
tubercular or not. The state of
Iowa, in cooperation with the United
States Bureau of Animal Industry is
making an effort to eliminate tuber-
colosis from cattle in this state.
Iowa has appropriated $250,000 to
carry on this work this year and
the money is now available.
Dairy herds are given the prefer
ence over all others, especially those
producing raw milk for municipal
consumption. The tuberculin test is
applied to the cattle of a herd free
of charge TO the owner by a veter-
marian employed by the state to do
nothing but this kind of work. In
order to get the work done the herd
owner signs an agreement to ald
this inspector in every way possible
to clean UP the herd and keep tub
CIRCULAR animals from entering the
herd.
For such aid on the part OF the
owner the state and U. S. Bureau of
Animal Industry reimburses the
owner for such animals that are
found to be tubercular in the follow
ing manner: The animals are valued
before test is applied. All reactors
are shipped for slaughter, unless ex-
ceptionally valuable animals, and the
money derived from the beef sal
vaged is returned to the owner.
Then the state of Iowa pays the
owner one third of the difference be-
tween the sale of salvage and value
of animal up to Sl5. Also the U.
S. B. A. |. pays one-third of the
difference between sale OF salvage
and value of animal UP to S25.
AS an illustration: Animal is worth
$50, reacts and is slaughtered. $40
salvaged for beef, leaving $40 loss.
State pays one third Of S45, or sl5
United States Bureau of Animal IN
dustry same amount, making IN all