No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 449 



REMARKS ON QUESTION ON CONTROL OF MILK SUPPLIES- 

 DIVISION IV., STATE SECTION. 



"1. The tuberculin employed for diagnosis should be a tuberculin 

 produced on the same principles as that of Koch iu 1890. 



Its strength should be uniform, and it should be of such toxical 

 strength as to kill with certainty six to eight weeks' old tuberculous 

 guinea-pigs within eight hours in doses of 20-30 centigrammes sub- 

 cutaneously. 



2. Such a tuberculin produces unfailingly in tuberculous aoimals 

 a febrile reaction of a distinct type. It is recommended that large 

 doses should be given, even to young animals; there is no danger or 

 inconvenience in always employing doses of a half to one gramme. 



3. Tuberculin may at times also produce fever in non-tuberculous 

 animals, but this fever is not typical and does not attain such a de- 

 gree as iu tuberculous cases. 



4:. If a typical tuberculous reaction appears in an apparently 

 healthy animal, and, on dissection, nothing tuberculous is found, it 

 is the fault of the dessector. 



5. To determine with certainty w^hether reaction exists or not, it 

 is necessary to take the temperature from the 6th to the 20th hour 

 after injecting, hourly or at least every second hour. 



G. The fact that tuberculin in a few isolated instances produces 

 fever in non-tuberculous animals, is of no importance when the ques- 

 tion is its usefulness as a means to eradicate tuberculosis, for in thii 

 respect it is decisive, as tuberculin invariably causes reaction in 

 tuberculous animals. 



7. The foregoing refers to animals treated for the first time. Most 

 animals become more or less accustomed to the tuberculin, but this 

 is uncertain and unreliable and can be overcome by the use of an in- 

 creased dose or a tuberculin of greater toxical strength. 



8. The practical combating of tuberculosis concerns administra- 

 tive, economical and social spheres, and the answer must vary in 

 different countries according to the prevalence of the disease and 

 its extent, the system of farming and cattle-trade, and the pecuniary 

 means available." 



29—6—1901 



