The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-09-21
BANGS DISEASE M Garlic

1 county wide meeting was hel0
In the Court room on Tuesday eve
ming September IL, for the purpose
of discussing the control of Bangs
disease in cattle. Federal plans
have been worked out for the con-
troll of this disease.
The first speaker introduced was
DR.. James w. Hughes of Elkton.
who discussed the cause and nature
of the disease. He also made a
number of suggestions for the con-
troll. DR.. Hughes said, Bangs di-
sease is caused by the Bacilli abortus
organisms. 1t appears In two
strains bovine and porcine. The
bovine strain is more common in
cattle but the porcine is more viru-
lent. So far there are no medical
or biological treatments, which can
be considered as specific treatments
but the disease is subject to conrtol
and elimination thru persistent ap-
plication of sanitary measures.
DR.. Hughes explained that the
most reliable method available for
picking infected animals is the ag-
glutination test of the blood serum.
In closing DR.. Hughes said, IF
the individual owner is In position
to carry out strict sanitary pro-
gram the elimination of the disease
from his herd is highly desirable.
But If he is not in position to carry
out a definite and prolonged fight
against the disease the mere appli-
cation of one or two blood tests will
be of no value" Mr.. Conover, Ex-
tension Dairyman of the University
of Maryland, said, Many dairymen,
in the past, had blamed the loss OF
calves from abortion or many other
things, such as slipping on concrete,
or some other injury rather than
admit that the cows were infested
with the Bang disease. The dairy
men must recognize that many
herds are infected and that one of
| IneSe may De MS OWL.
1.-The Governme-~ plan is entirely
voluntary. II one BE. into the
matter of cleaning up hisnerd he
should do so understanding that it
calls for careful painstaking work"
Mr.. Lewis Mel. Merryman, repre-
senting the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration, was the last speaker
ON the program, Mr.. Merryman said,
"non-infected cows give 500 more
milk than cows infected with the
Bangs disease" He stated, that
this one fact alone is sufficiently
good reason for dairymen to make
a concerted effort to rid their herds
of the disease. He continued with
the statement that garget or mastitis
goes hand in hand with Bangs di-
sease and that the removal of reac-
tors largely removes garget cases
from the herd. He explained that
the Bang disease organisms do not
necessarily cause mastitis but that
there were strong indications that
the disease weakens the cows udder
and will make them more suscepti-
BILE to the mastitis infection"
In explaining the Federal Plan for
blood testing cattle, Mr.. Merryman
stated that participation is entirely
voluntary. He stated that for reac-
tors the Government pay a maxi
mum of $40 indemnity for grads
cows, and $50 for purebreds. The
farmer will get such money as is re-
ceived for the carcess when reactora
are slaughtered. The Government
also pays for taking the blood SAM
pies. Under the contract herd own-
ers agree to continue testing under
the State plan, If and when there is
State plan. Reactors are to be
Slaughtered.
| County Agent, J. z. Miller presid-
ed at the meeting. In closing he
emphasized the fact that the Federal
plan for testing cattle is entirely OPP
tional with herd owners.
The meeting was attended By
about two hundred persons.