Vol. XII. No. 290. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



K^7 



VETERINARY NOTES. 



BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS IN TBE WEST 

 INDIES. 



The inforniatioD contained in this article has been 

 abstracted from a report by the ^'eterina^y Officer of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture (Mr. P. T. Saunders, 

 M.liX'.V.S.), on the rer.ults of tests for tuberculosis among 

 cattle in Antigua. 



The investigation was concerned mainly with the 

 tuberculin test, the essential feature of which is the in- 

 jection into the animal of a certain serum. If the 

 animal experimented on is tuberculous, the operation gives 

 rise to temporary fever. One hundred and si.xty animals 

 were tested in these trials, and 23' 1 per cent, were shown 

 to be suffering from the disease. It is a point of some 

 interest, that out of twenty-five of these animals which were 

 suspected as being tuberculous, seventeen were reactors: though 

 a matter of still greater significance is the fact that, of the 

 135 animals which possessed no physical signs of the disease, 

 twenty-three were found by the test to be tuberculous. This, 

 of course, is important, since it shows that an animal may 

 have tuberculosis without e.xhibiting any of the external 

 symptoms of the disease. 



Several interesting observations were made in the 

 investigation as regards peculiar local symptoms. In many 

 cases, in infected animals, a mass of huge size was found 

 covering the entire neck and shoulder of the animal; in some 

 instances the growth existed instead, of many small swellings, 

 each not bigger than a walnut, situated at more or less 

 regular intervals. These small swellings were found to be 

 lymphatic glands affected with tuberculosis, and the large 

 masses were the result of coalescence of the small ones. On 

 several occasions the presence of tubercle bacilli was demon- 

 strated in these abscesses. Another glandular swelling 

 commonly found in reactors, and in others too, was that of 

 the precrural lymphatic gland, situated in the flank immedi- 

 ately in front of the stifle joint. In healthy animals this 

 gland is smaller than a man's thumb, but when diseased 

 may reach 9 or 10 inches. 



An important part of Mr. Saunder's report is devoted 

 to a consideration of means for the prevention and sup- 

 pression of tuberculosis. It is emphasized that in any attempt 

 to eradicate the disease, it is first necessary to know the 

 extent to wliich it occurs: the tuberculin test was devised 

 originally as a means to this end. The extent having been 

 ascertained, the method of procedure will depend upon the 

 percentage of positive reactions in the flock. Wholesale 

 slaughter of affected animals is not advocated. The two 

 generally accepted systems which may reasonably be applied 

 in the work of eradication are: (I) Professor Bang's system — 

 useful when a small percentage of animals (say 15 per cent. 

 or less) is affected; and (2) the Ostertag system — valuable 

 where a large number is diseased. 



The essential feature of the Bang system is that the 

 reactors and the heilthy cattle are kept entirely separate on 

 the estate. Under no conditions are they allowed to come 

 into contact; neither in work nor in feeding. The same 

 oattle minders are not allowed to look after the flocks, 

 but different men are employed for each. AVhcnever 

 a calf is born among the reactors it must at once be taken 

 from its mother, and either put to a healthy cow or brought 

 up by hand Tuberculosis itself is not hereditary, bat 

 susceptibility is. 



It will be evident that the Bang system allows aflectel 

 animals to be made use of while the new sound flock is being 

 built up. Financial loss by the adoption of such a method 

 as this is therefore reduced to a minimum. 



As previously indicated, the Ostertag system concerns 

 Hocks where approximately half the number react to the test. 

 The method is to treat the whole flock as being diseased, and 

 to build up the new and healthy flock by starting only with 

 the ilew-born cilves which are reared on pasteurized milk, 

 (Pasteurization consists in intermittent heating at a temper- 

 ature somewhat below boiling point.) The tuberculin test 

 is applied to the animals at the age of six months and reactor? 

 are transferred to the afl'ected flock. 



From what has been .said regarding these systems and 

 the extent of tuberculosis in Antigua, it will be apparent 

 that the Bang system offers the more convenient lines along 

 which to eradicate the disease. In making recommendations 

 for local application, it is pointed out in the report that the 

 greatest care must be taken when breeding from infected 

 animals: diseased bulls should be castrated and used a.? 

 working oxen; affected cows, that is, those cows which ara 

 not clinically affected, may be bred from, but their c-ilve« 

 should at once be removed from the source of infection. It? 

 is better to work diseased cows in the yoke than to employ 

 them for the production of pen manure, which is one way 

 of spreading tuberculosis. 



A most imiiortant matter of a general nature in con- 

 nexion with the eradication of tuberculosis is the system of 

 feeding the animals. Poor feeding lowers natural resistance. 

 Where animals are fed on molasses 'wash' and oilmeal, 

 from one large vessel, as is frequently done on estates, 

 a diseased animal will discharge infective material into the 

 food which the healthy animal is consuming. In dry 

 weather, when fodder is scarce and the animals are in lev 

 condition, this particular form of feeding is very common, and 

 hence the chances of infection under these conditions ar.i 

 obviously very great. 



!Mr Saunders concludes his report with references to 

 the disadvantages of overcrowding, and to the importance of 

 keeping the floors of cattle pens and sheds as clean as possible, 

 in view of the fact that the germs of tuberculosis are found 

 normally in the excreta of diseased animals. 



Acknowledgement is made of the assistance rendered 

 by the Government of the Leeward Islands, and by the 

 planters on whose estates the tests were carried out. 



Treatcoent of Common Disease of Poul- 

 try. — Useful hints as regards the treatment of common 

 ailments of poultry are contained in Farmers' Bulletin 528 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture. In this 

 it is stated first that all birds showing signs of any specific 

 disease should be isolated. Colds and roup in poultry 

 should be dealt with by disinfecting the drinking water as 

 follows: to each gallon of water add the amount of potassiunx 

 permanganate that will remain on the surface of a dime. 

 As regards gapes, it is said that new ground and vigorous 

 cultivation will often remedy this trouble. Scaly legs is deali 

 with by the application to the aflectcd parts of vaseline con- 

 taining 2 per cent, of creolin, after which they are soaked for 

 twenty-four hours in warm soapy water. The treatment muss 

 be repeated until the animal is cured. Intestinal troubles 

 in chicks are treated by the administration of well-boiled 

 rice mixed with a little charcoal, and also by dissolving 1-5 

 grains of crude catechu in each gallon of drinking water. 

 For canker, the sprinkling of a little flowers of sulphur i'X 

 the mouth and throat of the bird, and the addition of .som ) 

 chlorate of potash to the drinking water is recommended. 



