126 Bulletin 250. 



7. It may be found desirable, in order to replenish the herd with sound 

 animals, to modify present methods and raise more calves and to add a 

 smaller number of cows by purchase. The first purpose is to obtain a 

 sound herd, and it may be possible that the quickest and cheapest method 

 will be to raise it. 



The demand for the eradication of all reacting animals arises very 

 largely from the common opinion that tuberculosis is freely transmissible 

 from animals to man. The question is less one of danger to human beings 

 than of menace to the cattle industry, although, of course, its relation to 

 public health should not by any means be overlooked. 



7. The status of bovine tuberculosis in New York. 



In dealing with a great problem, it is desirable to know as many 

 facts about it as possible. There are those who feel that there is a large 

 amount of tuberculosis in our cattle and others who say there is not. 

 The unrestricted entrance until recently of dairy cattle from without 

 and a lack of rigid precautionary measures in the interchange of animals 

 within the State, have caused much concern relative to its effect upon 

 the spread of tuberculosis in the cattle of the State. It cannot be denied 

 that such methods have afforded abundant facilities for the dissemination 

 of tubercle bacteria. 



In order to determine the extent to which the disease has spread, 

 I have collected and compiled the results of a number of tests that 

 have been made during the last two or three years, but largely in 1907, 

 by a considerable number of veterinarians to whom this College furnishes 

 tuberculin. The results show that of 421 herds tested, 302 contained 

 reacting animals. These herds contained a total of 9,633 animals, of 

 which 3,432 reacted. They were distributed in 39 counties. The greater 

 number of the tests were made for one or the other of three different 

 reasons, namely, (i) when the herd was suspected of being diseased, (2) 

 when the purchasers of animals required the test before accepting the 

 cattle and (3) when the purchasers of the milk or its products required 

 that they come from healthy cows. 



The official tests by the State Department of Agriculture for the years 

 1904-6 inclusive, kindly furnished me by Dr. Kelly, include 262 herds 

 with a total of 3,088 animals, of which 673 reacted. They were distributed 

 in 50 counties. These herds all came under the operation of the law. 

 Infected animals were found in 121 herds. 



The reliable available data, therefore, are restricted to the testing 

 of 683 herds, aggregating 12.721 animals. The animals were distributed 

 in fifty counties. Of the 683 herds, 423 contained reacting animals. A 

 very small percentage of the animals showed physical symptoms of the 

 disease. Although these figures show a somewhat extensive infection of 



