No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. lOl 



auiiiuil was alllicled with rabies or uot. JJy means of this informa- 

 tion it is possible to prevent much disease and loss of life and prop- 

 erty. Wheti a person is bitten bj a dog that is possibly alilicted with 

 rabies, it is of the utmost importance to that person that a diaguosLs 

 of the disease afflicting the dog shall be made promptly and ac- 

 curately. If the dog was afflicted with rabies it is important that 

 this shall be known so that the person that was bitten may adopt any 

 precaution or treatment that may protect him from rabies. On the 

 other hand, if the dog was not alilicted with rabies much discom- 

 fort and terror are avoided by early knowledge of this fact. 



An important development during the year has been made in con- 

 nection with the study of the immunization of cattle against tuber- 

 culosis. A paper on this subject was presented to the Pathological 

 Societj of Philadelphia, on November lo, 1902, by Dr. S. H. Gilliland, 

 A ssistant Bacteriologist of the State Live Stock Sanitary Board, 

 and myself. The text of the paper will be found below. It may be 

 observed here that it has been possible in these experiments to 

 immunize cattle against tuberculosis. The method is based upon a 

 principle similar to that controlling the immunization of cattle 

 against anthrax. It is necessary to make further experiments to 

 develop this system before it can be applied practically on farms. 

 To do this a large experiment should be conducted under natural 

 farm conditions; a herd of tubercular cows should be established 

 and cared for as cattle are usually cared for on farms. The calves 

 ft'om such cows as they grow up should be vaccinated, with a view 

 to endeavoring to protect them against tuberculosis. A number of 

 healthy cattle should be added to such a tubercular herd, part of 

 these should be vaccinated and the rest allowed to remain without 

 vaccination, with a view to measuring and determining the value of 

 protection afforded by vaccination under such conditions. It is also 

 important that the shortest and simplest method of vaccination 

 shall be determined, to the end that the system may be rendered 

 as economical as possible. Furthermore, it is important to know how 

 long the immunity that is thus conferred will continue. It is hoped 

 that the coming Legislature may see the importance of developing 

 this system of protection against a most insidious enemy of cattle and 

 will furnish the means for renting and using a farm as an experiment 

 station for the thorough testing and development of this discovery. 



Nearly G(J,OUO doses of tuberculin have been made during the year, 

 and this, together with the mallein and anthrax vaccine that have 

 been furnished, have value equivalent to the entire cost of running 

 the laboratory for the year, so that the special work of diagnosis, re- 

 search and investigations that have been so fruitful for the past 

 twelve months have been conducted at no cost to the State. That is, 

 "the laboratory and equipment by the use of which this work was done 



