516 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



culous and that subsequent tests of the same animal are unneces- 

 sary, and unwarranted. However, in view of the insistence of the 

 owner of this herd, it was finally agreed that they should he 

 retested. The owner refused to accept our services in conducting 

 the retest, being determined to have a private non-official test. Our 

 representatives Avere present at the test, and reported on the pro- 

 ceeding. Of the twenty-five retested, nine reacted and five were re- 

 garded as suspicious. This test was not conducted to the satisfac- 

 tion of the veterinarians representing this department. The re- 

 sults were not regarded as conclusive, and the test repudiated on 

 the ground that the tuberculin used was unreliable, and the amount 

 used insufficient. Furthermore the work was done too hastily, not 

 allowing sufficient time for the development of symptoms. The 

 quarantine regulations have, to some extent, been disregarded in 

 this case, and an attempt made by sympathizers of the dairyman to 

 interfere with the procedure of this department. Our position as 

 to the reliability of the tuberculin test is approved and sanctioned 

 by the Bureau of Animal Industry at Washington. Experience has 

 shown that retests of once infected animals can be of no substantial 

 value, and that its practice, generally as a matter of policy, is un- 

 sound in theory and indefensible. 



Another case from a private herd, owned by a man who has dis- 

 paraged the activity of our department in insisting upon thorough 

 tests of animals used for dairy purposes, and for sale to dairymen, 

 was brought to light at Grinnell. A dairy cow purchased in 1909, 

 which was sold as a healthy animal, was tested and reacted. The 

 abnormal temperature was attributed to the food supply and over- 

 exertion, and the animal regarded as suitable for dairy purposes. 

 A year later another test was applied to this animal, and a pro- 

 nounced reaction resulted. The animal was slaughtered as a pack- 

 ing house under federal inspection, and disclosed typical and posi- 

 tive lesions of tuberculosis in the portal, mesenteric, mediastinal, 

 liver, bronchial and prescapular glands. Many of the organs were 

 calcified, indicating that the disease was of long standing. The 

 animal was tanked as unfit for food. The accompanying cut (No. 

 7) shows portions of diseased organs. 



