EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 103 



REPOKT OF THE BACTERIOLOGIST, VETERINARY DEPART- 

 MENT. 



To the Director: 



The following is a synopsis of the experimental work on tuberculosis: 



The study of tuberculosis is one primary theme in laboratory work, and 

 for the past year our purpose has been to examine carefully the milk, 

 urine, feces, and sputum from the tuberculous cattle at our disposal. 

 This line of investigation has been prosecuted so far as is within our 

 facilities. At the outset, we appreciate that we have begun no new field 

 of research, but one over which the plow has left little to upturn. Our 

 object is not so much to reveal new things, as it is to render available 

 and practicable what is already known in theory. 



The milk from the tuberculous cow^s has been repeatedly subjected 

 to microscopical examination for tubercle bacilli and has been tested also 

 by animal experiment. All tests have been negative with the exception 

 of one animal. This work continues. Much time is devoted also to the 

 determination of temperature which will kill the tubercle bacilli in milk. 

 This subject provokes much interest because there is so much diversity 

 of opinion concerning it, and is one which certainly should be settled 

 beyond doubt. Furthermore, we have fed milk which had been artificially 

 infected with tuberculous material to hogs with very satisfactory re- 

 sults ; besides stud;ying this milk so infected as to the distribution of the 

 tubercle bacilli in the different products made from it. 



Our attention has been peculiarly drawn to the possible dissemination" 

 of tuberculosis by means of the feces. Mysie 44, Shorthorn, the only one 

 of the condemned animals, evacuated rich fecal matter. The bacilli are a 

 constant quantity. With this as a starting point, we shall try to ascer- 

 tain the effect of sunlight and weather in the destruction of these bacilli 

 and also to find the time of their persistency. From some of the indica- 

 tions we would infer that this method of transmitting this disease 

 among cattle cannot be disregarded. 



The urine has been studied faithfully but with negative results in 

 every instance; yet we feel that there is danger of spreading the disease 

 in this way. Tuberculosis of the urinary organs is not so common as 

 other forms, yet it exists, but to what extent we are unable to say. We 

 are trying to learn how frequently it occurs. 



What opportunity we have had to study the sputum, has furnished us 

 with encouraging data. There is evidence of tubercle bacilli existing in 

 nearly all cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. 



The examination of water, air and soil is made from time to time as 

 required to follow the disease through its various avenues. 



The question of normal temperatures has been raised in connection 

 with the tuberculin test. The study of normal temperatures under the 

 same conditions as the regular test has recently begun. The results thus 

 far indicate that this will prove a very valuable line of investigation. 



The preventive and curative phase of the disease is to receive much 

 consideration. Bacterial products and other agents are under test, but 

 since nearly every chemical substance used in medicine has been re- 

 peatedly tried by clinicians, there is faint hope of doing anything with 

 such curative agents. Much has been, expected from bacterial products 



