The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-04-19
WANTS DOUBLE PROOF.
Before Vermont Cattle Are Condemned
as Tuberculous.

| Writing in the Holstein -Friesian
Register for April, DIR. G. A. Prouty,
a veterinarian, of Putney holds TO
| the belief that there should be double
test before cattle are condemned as
tuberculons. DR.. Prouty's article is
as follows:
In view of the fact that many Of
our best dairy cattle are being slaugh-
tered perhaps to a greater extent than
is necessary, and our best dairy herds
are being depleted by the processes of
the state and federal government work
| for the eradication of tuberculosis ems
failing enormous losses which can new
err be replaced, it would seem to ME
! that the time has arrived for the Sc
rious consideration of some sort of
safeguard for both the interests of
the breeders and the public at large.
am passing my opinion and sug
gestion after more than twenty years
active experience in testing dairy cat
tie and in general veterinary practice.
Twenty odd years ago the dose of
tubereulin was 2CC, At that time we
obtained fairly positive reactions and
subsequent retests Showed that very
few tuberculous animals had failed to
react to the first test. In my opinion
larger percentage of the reaetors, re-
spending to these small doses, showed
LESSONS on postmortem than cattle do
to-day for very large doses of tuber
culin. Ii seems to me that altogether
too many animals reacting to the sub
cutaneous test fail to show LESSONS.
We find that animals giving a thermal
rise along with systemic reactions al
most invariably show LESSONS on post
mortems. and / would suggest that no
animal be condemned as tubercular
without reacting in both forms. A true
reaction to kthe subcutaneous test
should produce both the rise in tenn
perature described as rainbow
curve on the chart, and physical
or systemic reaction ushered in with
chill, standing coat and sometimes
purging, or more or less coughing, dull |
ness of the ewes, Indifference to food !
and more or less of discharge from |
the glands of the mouth.
To sum up it is my opinion that TO
safeguard interests OF all it would lie
well for state and federal authorities /
TO refrain from condemning any ami /
NAL unless after being given the sub T
cutaneous test the animal not only 4
showed an increase in temperature, but |
also showed the physical symptoms as
the result Of the injection of tuber
culin which / have described above as
the systemic reaction. For as ] have I
also said il has been my experience
that no animal after being injected
with tuberculin and showing these
systemic symptoms has failed .npon
to show LESSONS. If such
symptoms of reaction were demanded
before the animal was condemned this
would do away with much OF the ar
gument which is heard when an ami
NAL after being condemned, or called a
reactor, merely by the increase in ten
perature, fails to react on the second
test.
believe that lot Of cattle react
ing to the simultaneous test, but fail
ing to show any physical reaction such
Is chills, purgiug, salvation, etc, are
not menace to any herd, and often
lines such animals under suitable con-
iitions will rid themselves Of the dis
,ase, Just as humans are admittedly
,apable of doing il. IL being asserted
~ medical authorities that S. per cent
Il humans are affected at one time or
mother by tuberculosis.
According to my observation, a large
of the animals who do react |
@ the subcntaneous test, showing both
orms, the temperature and the sys +
emic or constitutional as described,
ave proven to be animals in the more
Idvanced stages OF tuberculosis and
we're naturally spreaders Of the dis
ase.
Believing that both above described
orms Of reaction TO the simultaneous
est are more positive and reliable and
viii prevent the killing Of more nom
esion cases than either the thermal
n opthalmie check tests, | offer such
uggestions a. | love made. not with
n exaggerated estimate Of the value
I my opinion but with the thought
nd hope that perhaps a further con-
Iteration Of these suggestions NAV
~ - . 4.e4ferrrorf Of c.riztfrer -,,atl ]