518 CD STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



"It is well to take the temperature morning and evening for several 

 days prior to injection. It happens sometimes that healthy animals show 

 considerable variations in temperature; this is only temporary, and ap- 

 pears to be due to a slight momentary disarrangement of the digestive 

 organs. It must also be remembered that when a cow is ready to 'bull' 

 her temperature rises nearly two degrees. It is better to postpone the test 

 with animals whose temperature is thus affected." 



The directions issued must necessarily differ widely from the very 

 nature of the case; each man giving his own version of the number of 

 temperatures required before and after injection. This variation of ap- 

 plication extends even to competent workers who do not deem it obliga- 

 tory to adhere to any fixed rule of application. Russell (Wis.) in his report 

 on the tuberculin test varied his methods considerably. 



In his first test he took the temperatures before injection as follows: 

 4 p. m., 6 a. m., 8 a. in., 12 m., 4 p. m., 8 p. m., and after injection 6 hours, 8 

 hours, 9 hours, 10 hours, 11 hours, 12 hours, 14 hours, 16 hours, 18 hours, 

 20 hours, 24 hours, 28 hours, 40 hours. In the second test the tempera- 

 tures before injection are represented by 4 p. m., 6 a. m., 12 m., 3 p. m., and 

 after injection 5 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, 13 hours, 16 hours, 18 hours, 20 

 hours, 24 hours. 



Paige records a single normal temperature before injection, in one case' 

 at 4 p. m., in another at 4 :30 p. m., and still another at 7 p. m. After injec- 

 tion the temperatures were taken at 6^ hours, 11^ hours, 15^ hours, 19 

 hours, 23 hours, 26 hours, or in some instances covering about the same 

 duration and intervals of time. We note a similar method employed by 

 Armsby, the normal temperature recorded only at the time of injection. 

 Niles also makes use of this method. From what I have been able to 

 learn, I would conclude that a single normal temperature before injection 

 is a common method of veterinarians over the country. Curtice thinks 

 two normal temperatures sufficient. We shall have occasion to say some- 

 thing about this before completing this bulletin. Uniformity may not be 

 essential, yet a single temperature may represent too brief a process. 



WHERE INJECT THE TUBERCULIN ? 



It matters little where the tuberculin is injected. The neck or shoulder 

 is usually selected. From my own standpoint the shoulder offers greater 

 advantages as recommended by Curtice: there is little subcutaneous 

 tissue if infection from foreign bacteria should occur while injecting, the 

 skin is tense, and the shoulder is generally quiet while the neck may be 

 in constant motion. The febrile constituent of the tuberculin is com- 

 paratively quickly diffused throughout the body no matter where in- 

 jected. 



THE AMOUNT OF TUBEECULIN INJECTED. 



The amount of tuberculin (crude) necessary to produce a febrile con- 

 dition in a tuberculous animal is quite variable, depending somewhat 

 upon the size of the animal, small animals requiring less than large ones. 

 There also appear, so far as we are able to conjecture, although it is 

 not satisfactorily established, stages of the disease which require more 



