TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIH 325 



the balance in two months. If you find more take them out and do this 

 until you wipe out the tuberculous ones. After this test every six months 

 or at least once a year. 



Perhaps instead of talking about tuberculosis it might be well to dis- 

 cuss this question. Let me add that if it is proper to wipe tuberculosis 

 out of our cattle let us do it. I feel that the only way to wipe it out is 

 to give to the people who own the cattle a little more information in re- 

 gard to tuberculosis and this tuberculin test. I have Leard people say 

 that tuberculin has introduced tuberculosis into the herd. I tried a few 

 years ago, testing some 500 or 600 head of cattle. Every one of these 

 animals passed the test. When I was through I thought it strange that 

 there were no reactors. I repeated the test with a different brand of 

 tuberculin and found two carloads of reactors in the same herd. The 

 first brand was unreliable, and I think that is where people get this idea 

 that tuberculin introduces the disease into a herd. It is, therefore, impor- 

 tant in applying the tuberculin test to obtain reliable tuberculin and use 

 accurate thermometers, and no animal should be killed unless this test 

 proves her to be a positive reactor. 



Tuberculosis being largely a house or stable disease due to artificial 

 life, such as being housed or stabled, every possible precaution should be 

 taken to prevent disease. One tuberculous cow in a close, foul, hot, badly 

 ventilated stable is liable to infect all other cattle in the barn. To 

 prevent and guard against disease it is necessary to maintain absolute 

 cleanliness. 



DISCUSSION. 



Member : I would like to ask the doctor if it is necessary to dis- 

 infect the barn after removing an afflicted animal. 



Dr. Roberts Yes, it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the en- 

 tire bam. 



Member : So many of our cattle are affected with lump jaw. Is 

 that a symptom of tuberculosis ? 



Dr. Roberts : No, but they are more susceptible. I would advise 

 anyone owning an animal with lump jaw to either kill it or treat 

 it, because they will infect the others. 



Member: If an animal is afflicted in some other way and the 

 tuberculin is injected, will they react whether they have tuberculo- 

 sis or not? 



Dr. Roberts : They are liable to. That is why it is very impor- 

 tant to get the normal temperature of the animal before the tuber- 

 culin is injected. 



