202 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Cattle put into stalls where others have died from the disease are 

 almost sure to catch it, unless the greatest care as to cleanliness has 

 been taken. Orts that may have been left by a consumptive cow 

 and then thrown out to other cattle may be a means of contagion. 

 Any cow or human subject that shall have consumption proper, or 

 real tuberculosis, should be so thoroughly quarantined as not to 

 have any cohabitation with healthy animals or persons, other than 

 that which is necessary for their care and comfort. A consumptive 

 hospital is an awful place to put a physician or a nurse into. If 

 there is a hell upon earth it would be to take care of a lot of patients 

 dying of consumption. It is an awful disease. It is a disease that 

 is propagated by poisonous germs, like several others which are ex- 

 plained by the germ theory. In any such disease the greatest care 

 should be taken to prevent any possible contact of healthy animals 

 with those that are diseased. When such a disease gets into a herd 

 it is likely to go through it. This disease is of such an insidious 

 torm that it is not easily detected ; 3'ou never know that one is sick 

 until you hear the cough. When 3'OU have killed some fine animal 

 for beef you will find the lungs have grown to the ribs, so that you 

 cannot pull the lungs out, and there are balls of hard yellow sub- 

 stance that looks like cheese attached to them, in some cases, and 

 every part of such lung is tuberculous. 



Sec Gilbert. Is it the belief of the profession that this disease 

 prevails to any considerable extent among the New England stock? 



Dr. Cressey. Veiy largel}' among certain breeds, the Alderney 

 and Short-Horns more especially ; but it is even found in native herds. 

 It is much more prevalent than is generally supposed. Our attention 

 is more frequently called to it in case of thoroughbreds because they 

 are more valuable. It is called more particularly to our attention in 

 the case of thoroughbreds, because they are more valuable animals ; 

 but many a poor cow coughs, grows thin, loses her milk and dies 

 from this disease and nobody knows it. One such cow may infect 

 the whole neighborhood by the intercourse she has had with other 

 cattle. It is claimed that five per cent of the milch cows of Germany 

 are aflfected with tuberculosis. The milk of an animal afflicted with 

 this disease should not be used : and for children especially, for they 

 drink so freely of it and their absorbent glands are so active that they 

 are much more likely to become the victims to its terrible effects. 

 Even boiling sometimes will not destroy the virus unless it is long 

 continued. 



