EXTRACTS FROM CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 267 



MAIXE dairymen's ASSOCIATION MEETING. 



The Maine Dairymen's Association held a meeting at Dexter 

 December 10, 1908, and one day of the meeting was given over 

 to the subject of bovine tuberculosis among our dairy herds. 

 Great interest was taken in this part of the meeting and the con- 

 sensus of opinion was that the most essential thing for success- 

 ful dairying, was a healthy herd. There was no criticism offered 

 against the present policy of Maine, in controlling tuberculosis. 

 There was a feeling that expressed itself strongly, for an exten- 

 sion of the work, and in conversation with one member, he 

 expressed himself by saying "We have got tuberculosis on the 

 run, let's keep it going and drive it out. I see iwzi' that it can 

 be done." At this meeting a vote was passed that it was the 

 sense of the Association that the State should pay for the test- 

 ing of all cattle whether pure blood or not. 



THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON TUBERCULOSIS. 



This congress was held in the city of Washington, September 

 28, 1908. Commissioners Deering and Beal were present and 

 attended all the sessions of Section VII, which was the section 

 devoted to bovine tuberculosis. It was the most interesting and 

 important meeting ever held in this country "on the subject of 

 tuberculosis, both human and bovine. There were thirty-three 

 countries represented by the most eminent scientists, men of 

 world wide reputation, and the flower of scientific research and 

 attainment. It was a liberal education in itself to meet with 

 these men, listen to their papers and discussion of the same and 

 talk with them freely upon disputed points. 



Section VII, had its full quota of foreign delegates, and 

 papers were also read by gentlemen from almost every state in 

 this country. For the control of tuberculosis, tuberculin is used 

 in every country and state, and its usefulness and reliability was 

 recognized beyond question. 



The principle is the same all over the world in handling and 

 controlling the disease ; but there is a difference in handling 

 reacting animals. Some states destroy all reacting animals, 

 others separate them from the healthy ones, keeping them 

 isolated and pasteurizing the product, and selling it for what it 



