624 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



feeding" stock with straw from criinson clover which has beeu threshed 

 as a seed crop is conrtenined. 



The application of tuberculin in the suppression of bovine 

 tuberculosis, B. Bang {MassaeJnisetfs Hatch Sta. Bui. 41, pp. 27). — 

 Tliis is a translation of an article in a German veterinary journal,' treat- 

 ing- of the prevalence of tuberculosis in Denmark and discussing the 

 iuilhor's work with tuberculin in that country, the provisions of the 

 law, the distribution of the disease in the different x'l'ovinces, and 

 the relative prevalence of the disease in large and small herds. The 

 author fonnd that 50.8 per cent of the animals in herds of 50 or more 

 were affected by the disease, while only 32.li per cent were affected in 

 smaller herds. He also found that single injections of the tuberculin 

 would suppress for a year susceptibility to the test, and does not con- 

 sider it safe to conclude in such cases that an animal has been cured 

 because it does not react. The tuberculin does not in any large num- 

 ber of cases coming under the author's observation produce a worse 

 condition than before the test. He believes it safe to raise the calves 

 from cows which react to the tuberculin but otherwise ai)pear healthy; 

 in but very few cases did he lind evidences of tuberculosis in the calves. 



A somewhat extended account is given of an experiment in eradicat- 

 ing tuberculosis from a herd consisting of 208 head of cattle which were 

 quartered in a large stable. Upon the application of the tuberculin 

 test 131 animals were found to react, while 77 appeared healthy. The 

 stable was then separated into 2 parts by a board partition lined 

 with building paper, and the infected animals were isolated in one por- 

 tion of the stable. All of the calves which reacted were immediately 

 killed, and all cows reacting which during the year showed noticeable 

 clinical evidence of tuberculosis were also slaughtered. The animals 

 in the healthy division were inocuUited twice yearly, just before and 

 after pasturing. All heifer calves and several males were raised; but 

 immediately after birth those born from animals in the infected section 

 were removed and placed in the healthy division. These, however, were 

 kept in partial isolation and inoculated with tuberculin. This precau- 

 tion x)roved to be superfluous, for in the 4 years during which the test 

 was continued only 2 calves were born with tuberculosis. 



Every i)ossible precaution was taken to prevent communication 

 between the healthy and unhealthy divisions, and the entire stable was 

 carefully disinfected each si>ring. In 4 years the number of animals 

 in the reacting division decreased from 131 to 60 and the number in the 

 healthy division increased from 77 to 132, while the number of reacting 

 animals in the healthy division diminished from 10 in the second year 

 to 2 in the fourth year. 



The author believes these figures show the practicability of eradicat- 

 ing tuberculosis without the complete destruction of the herd. 



1 Deut. Ztschr. Thiermed., 22 (1896). 



