142 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



the next day. If no reaction follows, after an interval of two 

 days I usually inject 3 milligrams [15 milligrams Bureau tuber- 

 culin] . In suspected visceral tuberculosis I usually stop here, 

 but if it is a surgical tuberculosis, where the amount of disease 

 may be very slight, it is well, perhaps, to try another dose of 5 or 

 6 milligrams after another interval. The reaction usually begins 

 from eight to twelve hours after the injection. 



THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF TUBERCULIN. 



One of the objections that has often been brought forward 

 against the use of tuberculin upon cattle is that it is entirely too 

 delicate ; that by its aid disease is detected in animals which 

 might not have been dangerous for many years. It is, however, 

 utterly impossible to tell how soon a very slight case of tubercu- 

 losis may develop into a very dangerous one, and during this 

 time the animal is the best possible source of infection for other 

 animals. The contagiousness of tuberculosis both among ani- 

 mals and men is well established, and this being known, animals 

 which are found infected with tuberculosis in the slightest degree 

 should either be slaughtered and the healthy portion of the ani- 

 mal used as food, if thoroughly cooked, or better still such ani- 

 mals may be isolated and quarantined and used for breeding pur- 

 poses, and the calves isolated and fed upon sterilized milk. By 

 adopting a method of this sort, which is both economical and 

 practical, the objection so often made that tuberculin does not 

 give an indication of the character of disease is easily dispensed 

 with. The moment that the disease is found present, that moment 

 the individual becomes dangerous to the rest of the cattle in the 

 herd, and the necessary precautions should be taken. 



In Denmark and in several places in this country the method 

 of isolating animals infected with tuberculosis and using them 

 for breeding purposes has been pursued with excellent results, 

 and there is no reason why the same thing may not be done gen- 

 erally in this country. In some localities this method could not 

 be carried out satisfactorily, and then, of course, it becomes nec- 

 essary to destroy the animals that are infected with tuberculosis. 

 Occasionally this may be a hardship for the owner of the animal, 

 unless the city or State is willing to pay for the animal a price 

 which would, at any rate, partially reimburse him for his loss. 

 It is quite as legitimate for this to be done as for the adoption of 

 any other sanitary regulations which are of importance for the 

 health of the communitjr. 



It occasionally happens that animals badly diseased or in an 

 excited condition from various causes have a high temperature at 

 the time of injection and will not give a satisfactory reaction to 

 tuberculin. In these cases, however, the disease is usually so far 



