Evening star., 1927-04-24

~ berculosis - 81, ,s19 900 head of
A A cattle have been tested by the
United States Governments
manufactured in Washington, where
IA national scientists and their aids
devote all their time to the production
of this remarkable material.
| Making tuberculin by the million of
doses is an important and interesting
| duty of the Bureau Of Animal In
| dustry. Engineering, mechanics and
| sources in the development of efficient
science have all combined their re-
| manufacturing methods, in the pro.
vision Of curious equipment designed
to perform strange jobs and in gener-
ally simplifying and systematizing the
output.
The inventive genius of agricultural
science has been harnessed to solve
certain enigmas of this national man
ufactory. Production has been stand
ardized so that lost motion, false steps
and dangerous errors have been eliml-
mated. During the present year. H.
000,000 doses of liquid tuberculin, as
well as 5000, 900 ophthalmic disks. will
be produced and distributed to all
parts of the United States for the
testing Of dairy cattle. No other ma
tion in the world engages in any such
production work on such an exten.
sive scale.
Associated with the enterprise are
fascination and romance, which only
attract your attention after you have
studied the laboratory operations in
detail. National scientists risk their
lives in handling the deadly germs of
one of our most dreaded diseases. A
mistake or a miscue may expose the
scientist to the white plague" which
respects neither rank nor station.
Every possible precaution known to
| modern science is exercised to safe
guard the experts. Notwithstanding.
an untoward catastrophe might de-
velop Unexpectedly and endanger the
potential well-being Of the skilled lab
oratory lieutenants.
Time was when the various States
and commercial agencies produced on
I large scale tuberculin which was
used in the official testing of cattle,
The test of time proved that such
multiple manufacture under many
masters was unsatisfactory. In some
cases, dishonest dealing and fraud
stained the records. Eventually the
United States Government assumed
complete charge of official testing. 1t
also guaranteed the provision of pure
and unadulterated tuberculin for such
widespread activities.
At present, some commercial labora.
tories in this country manufacture
tuberculin. 1t is used only in private
testing and in the treatment of Ger.
tain cases Of tuberculosis in man. All
the tuberculin used in official testing
of cattle is made In Washington, in
well equipped laboratories, one.half
mile from the White House.
The sunrise of tuberculin utilization
In this country as detective of
bovine tuberculosis dates back about
| 3o years. The celebrated Koch, a
German experimenter of international
| renown, isolated the elusive tubercle
bacillus In 1884. He spent the sue.
ceeding six years in seeking a cure
for tuberculosis and ultimately pro-
duced tuberculin. Strange to relate,
tuberculin, as first used in the United
States, was employed as a cure OF
| tuberculosis among human beings.
Serious, and in some instances, fatal
results obtained, because, in those
| pioneering days, science tried to con-
troll the ravages of tuberculosis with
| tuberculin.
| Finally. however, medical science
noted that patients who were treated
with tuberculin developed fever
| shortly after injection. Eminent
veterinarians who were experimenting
with the use of tuberculin on cattle
| reported similar results. Tuberculin
was dethroned as panacea for tuber-
| culosis. 1t was established as an ac-
curatc diagnostician of the disease.
| Since then it has been an outstanding
| aid in locating tuberculous infection
in dairy herds.
| Our American campaigns to mini
| mize the annual tribute collected by
| tuberculosis germs have emphasized
the importance Of providing pure,