The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-16
BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS
STIRS CONVENTION
Resolution Preclpitatcs Discussion
Among State Medical
Men.

Eradication OF bovine tuberculosis,
the much mootad question in Vermont,
especially since the legislature OF 1921, I
appropriated 100000 annually over a
two-year period to be spent for the |
stamping out OF the disease, threaten I
ed for time to throw a storm cloud |
over the final session of the l09th !
annual meeting the Vermont State
Medical society at Burlington Friday.
All of the talk previously had been
either in favor OF continuing the Grad
cation program or OF neutral nature
when DR.. J. j. Dervin OF Poultney.
led an attack on the present methods, !
declaring that the state Is now over
loaded with taxation, that it is
out OF all proportion to expend $780,
900 annually for the eradication of bo-
vine tuberculosis VIII. ch produces not
more than 10 per cent of the total
tuberculaT patients IN the state, and
spending at the same time only $4,000
a year on tne human type, which
produces 80 per cent OF the cases. He
said that eradication Of COW tuberculo-'
sis is not Il public health measure. He
advised the State medical society to
go on record as opposing so large an
appropriation when the fact that COW
Is found free from tuberculosis through
the test does not prove her milk free
from many other disease germs, which
may be even more dangerous. DR..
Dervin introduced the following reso-
luton
X Whereas the state Of Vermont has
appropriated $2o0,000 annually for the
fight against tuberculosis and whereas
OF tn s sum only $4,000 Is available
for the human stage OF the problem,
| therefore be It resolved that the Ver-
mont Medical society in annual meet.
ing assembled believes this proportion
of the total amount one fifth for human
tuberculosis IS neither just nor prop.
er division Of the total appropriation.
This resolution was supported ty
DR.. |. S. Coburn OF Milton member
of the 1921 legislature and Cahl dat
for County senator TO the next l-gi +
lature. DR.. Coburn declared that We
have spent more than S1.O00.0O0 trying
to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in
this state and have not tested more
than 10 per cent OF the cows in tho
state. At that rate the doctor con
cluded, 1t will cost more than 100000
600 to clean 1t ali up. and even then
we can't do it unless the State forces
these tests on the farmers
Dr. h. j. Rogers of the Pittsford
Sanator.um said that 1t was not policy
for the Medical society TO oppose DO.
vine tuberculosis appropriation in as
much as ii had never attempted TO Sc
cure from the legislature larger ap-
preparation for treatment OF the hu
man type Of the disease. The majority
apparently agreed with DR.. Rogers fol
the Dervln resolution was tabled by
practically a unan nous vote, Anoth
e. resolution introduced by Dr. Rogers
was unanimously adopted as follows
!" Resolved. that IL be the sense OF the
Vermont State Medical society tina,
the problems of tuberculosis in the
state be very carefully studied and II
neoe sary more money voted for the
tuberculosis work both for educational
purposes and Tor institutional treat
ment'
The whole matter OF tuberculosis
was brought up in confecpen with two
papers on the subject. One by e. c
Schroeder, superintendent OF the ex
pertinent station of the federal bureau
of animal industry and by DR.. l.. u
Gardner of Saranac Lake, N. Y. DR.
]. N. Jenne of Burlington said that the
fight for cleaning up bovine tubercu
loss had been started by another de
partment than the medical profession
He did not think that the profession
should take any stand on this move
ment. Among other speakers, DR., A
J. DeFossett inspector in charge of tn,
tuberculosis eradication in Vernon
who answered some of the criticisms
which had been made OF his depart