The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-16
Senator Coburn and DR..
Dervan Make Unsuccess-
Attack on Present Law

Eradication of bovine tuberculosis, the
much mooted question in Vermont, es-
pecially since the legislature of 1921 APP
propriated 100000 annually over two
years period to be spent in eradication
of the disease, threatened for a time to
throw a storm-cloud over the final ses-
sion of the Tooth annual meeting of the
Vermont State Medical society in Bur
lington last week. Following two papers
on the regular program dealing with the
problem of bovine tuberculosis there was
a brief discussion as per schedule, then
the discussion was thrown open to the
meeting and several physicians got into
it.
All of the talk had been either in fa-
vor of continuing the eradication pro
gram, or of neutral nature when Dr.
J. ]. Dervan of Poultney led an attack
on the present methods, declaring that
the state is now overloaded with tax
alton. that it is out of all proportion to
spend 100000 annually for the eradica-
ton of bovine tuberculosis. which pro
duces not more than 10 per cent of the
total tubercular cases in the state while
spending only $4,000 a year on the hu-
man type, which produces 80 per cent of
the cases.
Eradication of bovine tuberculosis is
not a public health measure. DR. Dervan
declared. and he thought that the State
Medical society should go on record as
opposing so large an appropriation for
eradication of bovine tuberculosis. 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. The Poultney physician.
therefore, introduced the following reso-
luton:
Whereas the state of Vermont has
appropriated $250.000 annually for the
fight against tuberculosis, and whereas.
of this sum only $4,000 is available for
| the human phase of the problem there
fore be it resolved that the Vermont
Medical society in annual meeting as
sembled believes this proportion of the
total amount. One-fifth, for human tn
| bcrculosis. is neither a just nor proper
division of the total appropriation.
DR.. COburn Has His Say.
This resolution was supported by DIR.
! /. 5. Coburn of Milton, member of the
| 1921 legislature and candidate for Chit
| tenden county senator to the coming leg
| islature. In a speech which waxed elo-
| quent and humorous at times, DIR. Co
| burn declared:
Il came here expecting to attend n
| meeting of the Vermont Medical society
! but find myself in pre-legislative lob
! bying society"
DIR. Coburn expressed some doubt
about a statement made by DIR. E. C.
| Schroeder. NJ. d. V. superintendent of
| the experiment station of the federal bu-
reau of animal industry, who had one
. of the papers Of the morning, to the eff
| feet that the tuberculin test is practi-
| cally 100 per cent efficient on the first
| test.
we have spent more than S1,000.0OC
| trying to eradicate bovine tuberculosis
| in this state and have not tested more
than 10 per cent of the cows in the
| state" declared DIR. COburn. AT that
| rate it will cost more than $20.000,00C
to clean it all up. And even then We
can't do it unless we force these tests
on the farmers, and that will be hare
job"
When DR. Coburn sat down, DR.. H
4, Russlow of Barre asked for the
floor. He said he thought this was
merely matter of politics that was be
ing brought up. and that the State Med
zeal society should lay the resolution Of
DIR. Dervan on the table.
| DIR. ROgers's Resolution.
Before this was done, however. DR.
| E. J. Rogers of the Pittsford sanato