90 AGRICULTURE OF MAIXE. 



that is required in making the test, if it can be a satisfactory one, 

 the better, and the number of temperatures that will reveal the 

 condition of the animal is really all that we need. 



If, when the fourth temperature is taken, there has been no 

 reaction, the animal may be considered as having passed the test. 

 If the temperature at the fourth test is rising, and we are in 

 some doubt at that time, continue to take the temperature as 

 long as it rises, at intervals of three hours. 



Now the animals that have passed the test are probably sound 

 as far as this disease goes. But this test is not infallible. Here 

 is an animal about ready to drop into the grave. Poisons do not 

 have much effect upon her. We do not need a test anyway, in 

 that case. \\'e can discover the disease without. On the other 

 hand, here is an animal that has had tuberculosis for a year or 

 two; the disease is confined to a little tissue not longer than the 

 end of my thumb, and has not made any progress during that 

 time. The germs are there, there is a little tuberculous tissue, 

 there are germs that may begin to grow, and are likely to, but 

 for the time being there is no progress. That animal, tested at 

 that time, will not react to the test : so that a small percentage of 

 the animals suffering from the early stages will not react. But 

 if the test has been properly made, and right conclusions are 

 drawn from the temperatures, and a consideration of the ani- 

 mals, the animal that reacts is tuberculous. There are some con- 

 ditions which must be observed. A little tuberculin is injevTted 

 into an animal last night, and that animal may become I-everish 

 today from some incidental cause. If she is driven about in 

 strange quarters, or food is withheld, or the animal is in heat, she 

 may have a rise of temperature that has no relation to the test 

 at all. There is a chance for the exercise, of good judgment and 

 skill, and for experience to count, in making the test. We can- 

 not just read the temperatures and say, this animal is diseased. 

 But if the rise of temperature is due to the injection of tuber- 

 culin, we are safe in saying that the animal is diseased. We 

 may sometimes make mistakes in deciding what is the cause of 

 the rise of temperature. 



Oues. Do you think it safe to go on one initial tempera- 

 ture? 



