San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-01
.IbERcU[0Sls
AMONG CATILE
IS EXPLAINED
c. H. Alvord Tells Acad-
envy Of Enormous Loss
\ From Disease.
6 DANGER TO HEALTH
Early Stages Hard to Dis
tinguish in Animals;
Test Is Necessary.
DANGER TO HEALTH
In enormous loss is incurred each

In enormous loss is incurred each
in the livestock industry from
rculosis among cattle, c. ii. Al
yrd, county agricultural agent, and
Manager of the agricultural depart
ment of the Chamber OF Commerce
said, in an address before the Academy
OF Arts and Sciences at the Menger
? Hotel, Friday night, on The Menace
of Bovine tuberculosis" Mr.. Alvord
prefaced his speech with the statement
that he would confine his remarks
to facts substantiated by investlga-
tioHs and reports from reliable
scientific authority.
He quoted figures compiled at es-
Establishments where federal meat in
spection was maintained from 1905
to 1918, which revealed that the num-
Der of cattle condemned for tuber-
culosis at these establishments in
1908 was $4,000. and that in 1918
this number had increased to over
10000. In 1918 the number of hogs
condemned for the same reason, be
said, was $1,000 while in 1908 1t
had been $4,000.
Careful study of bovine tuberculo-
sis, Mr.. Alvord said. has established
the fact that the disease is distributed
all over the United States; that 1t is
communicable from one animal TO
another and from animals TO human
beings; that the disease does not man.
ifest itself BY external appearance
in its early stages, and an animal
49,, he ~ur Of
disease for a long time before its
infection is supected.
The disease, he said, can be con-
trolled or eradicated from herds or
areas as large as n county and larger
by subjecting all animals of the herd
or area TO the test and cleaning up
the premises where the herds are found
10 be infected.
How Hogs Get 1t.
Milk or meat from animals infected
with tuberculosis should not be used
for human food, Mr.. Alvord said, and
public health demands that such
animals be killed and disposed Of
tuberculosis is spread from one
animal to another, according to Mr.
Alvord through milk from infected
cows, from saliva and slobber that il
left in the feed or water troughs, anC
from droppings about the lot. Inves
tigation, he said, has disclosed tina
the disease is often communicated I,
hogs through skinned milk delivered
from diaries back to farm for feed
ing purposes. Many states, he said
are now requiring creameries to ster
ilize this kind of milk before re
turning it TO the farm.
Have Sure Test.
Because of the insidious natur,
of the disease and the fact that al
animal evidently in perfect health may
be carrier and spreader of the dis
ease, Mr.. Alvord, said. the only sur,
way of determining if an animal !,
jrfected is to employ reliabl,
vete. marian to make the tuberculir
test. This test can in no way injurt
the health of the animal and will
give definite Information as TO the
presence or absence Of the disease.
While the greatest Importance In
the tight is public health, Mr.. AL
word said, yet unless farmers, dairy.
men and others interested take ur
the fight of eradicating the disease
there is great danger of il becominr
! a menace TO the cattle industry OF
Nthis part of the country.