Bovine Tuberculosis in lis Relation to Man."" 



Bj' EuwAKD Moore, M. R. C. V. S., Albany, N. Y. 



This subject is a story old — older than many of the hills and 

 valleys that beautify the landscape to-day, older than some of 

 the islands of the sea. I speak of its antiquity because in this 

 country bovine tuberculosis was rarely recognized until 1890. 

 The disease in cattle has been described in veterinary works, 

 printed mainly abroad, under such headings as tubercle, con- 

 sumption, wasting, pining, and scrofula; also called angle berry 

 and grape disease by butchers, because of the knotty growths 

 found by them in affected carcasses, and it has been known to 

 veterinarians abroad for a great many years; yet our stock papers, 

 agricultural journals, veterinarians, and the American public gen- 

 erally gave the subject no importance prior to the year above 

 mentioned. I searched the volumes of the Country Gentleman for 

 ten years prior to 1890, and, outside of articles by the author of 

 this paper, the subject was not mentioned until December 19, 

 1889, when it was stated that " cattle tuberculosis seems to be 

 spreading on the continent of Europe, according to the statistics 

 produced before the Veterinary Congress lately held in Paris. 

 Of cattle slaughtered in public abattoirs, more than one per cent, 

 were found affected with the disease." One might search back 

 to the landing of the Pilgrims in vain for information on this 

 subject prior to 1888. At a meeting of the New York Farmers 

 at the Metropolitan Club, February 18, 1896, Mr. Theodore A. 

 Havemeyer said: "I have been for a long time a breeder of cat- 

 tle, as was my father before me. Up to 1888 I think tuberculosis 



* Rpjifi hefore the Albany County Medical Society April 18, 1899. 

 Reprinted from tiie New York Medical Journal for September 2 and 9, 1899. 

 ^Copyrighted, 1899, hy D. Appleton & Company. 



