430 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The CHAIRMAN: What shall be done with this report? 



Ou motion, dulj seconded, it was received and filed for publication. 



The CHAIRMAN: Some of the reports have been omitted. The 

 first of these is the report of Dr. Leonard Pearson, State Veter- 

 narian, who is now with us, and will read his report. 



Dr. Pearson's report is as follows: 



REPORT OF THE VETERINARIAN. 



Da. Leoxard PaARSOX, Han-isburg, Pa. 



The subject of tuberculosis continues to be one of chief interest 

 in connection with the veterinary work of the State. It is a little 

 embarassing, sometimes, to speak ou this rather threadbare theme 

 to this body, that has in recent years heard so much about it. But, 

 so long as there is such need for information in respect to this dis- 

 ease, and I find evidence of it in my daily work, I am sure that A'Ou 

 will not resent a brief discussion of it. While the general topic 

 of tuberculosis is an old one, a vast number of men are making in- 

 vestigations in relation to its occurrence in man and animals, and 

 so, from time to time, new facts concerning its nature and new 

 developments in means to combat it are being brought to light. 



I take it that the plan of operation of the State Livestock Sani- 

 tary Board is known to you, and it has been described in the annual 

 reports of the Department of Agriculture. You are aware that in- 

 spections and tuberculin tests of herds are made only upon request 

 of owners of cattle. It has been the opinion of the Board that 

 there is no permanent advantage to the State in completely freeing 

 herds of tuberculosis, by the use of the tuberculin test, and in 

 undertaking a large share of the cost of such operations, if the 

 herds are permitted soon to become reinfected. And it is quite im- 

 possible, excepting at enormous expense — by the use of much more 

 money than is at all likely to be made available for this purpose — 

 to keep herds free from infection unless the public authorities have 

 the co-operation — the active assistance — of the owner. Hence, such 

 inspections are made only upon application from herd owners. But, 

 under a new law (No. 56, P. L., 1905). it has become possible to deal 

 with all cases of advanced tuberculosis of cattle that are reported. 

 Still, there is no organization for searching for such particularly 

 dangerous animals, and I regard this the point that next requires 

 consideration. 



While we have found that the majority of farmers are alert to 

 the importance of excluding tuberculosis cattle from their herds, 

 and many report tuberculosis when examination shows that this 

 disease does not exist, there are others who are so careless as to 

 keep and use cows with advanced tuberculosis, even with tubercu- 

 lous udders, and permit such cows to scatter germs of disease for 

 months, until their entire herds become infected — to say nothing of 

 poisoning the milk supply. 



Tuberculous cows are dangerous in proportion to the number of 

 tubercle bacilli that are escaping from their bodies. Advanced 



