COMMISSIONEE OF AgEICULTUKE 129 



class, making little or no distinction between the individual 

 animal that shows evidence of the disease from its physical 

 appearance alone and the one in which the disease has been indi- 

 cated by some test method. A distinction should be made between 

 these two classes of animals, and by so doing stock owners would 

 be enabled, with a minimum of loss, to dispose of animals which 

 are in good physical condition and capable of producing milk or 

 offspring for an indefinite period. At the present time, the objec- 

 tion that the average person has to animals that in any way have 

 given indications of being tuberculous is sufficient to render such 

 an animal in their opinion undesirable for any milk purpose. If 

 the milk from such animal could be used after being properly 

 pasteurized, and the animal subjected to proper inspection, there 

 is no reason why many such cattle should not serve their usual 

 purpose with no danger to the consumer of milk or its products. 



If some system could be devised whereby such animals could 

 be permanently and positively marked or branded, their means of 

 distributing tuberculosis, presuming they were distributors of the 

 germ, would be correspondingly lessened, from the fact that their 

 products would be under suspicion and consequent surveillance. At 

 the same time those having proper facilities might with profit to 

 themselves and safety to the public continue the use of such ani- 

 mals, temporarily at least. By means of the marking system it 

 would be impossible, if properly conducted, for such animals again 

 to be classed as healthy. The sale of individuals so marked would 

 be attended with certain difficulties which would tend to limit their 

 distribution. In the case of valuable animals, examinations of the 

 saliva and other discharges could be made to determine whether 

 they were spreading the germs of the disease. The following para- 

 graphs taken from 1913-14 report will explain this mere in 

 detail : 



At the time, it seems necessary that there should be an effort made to 

 bring the public to a more common-sense view of the characteristics and 

 principles surrounding bovine tuberculosis. The disposition of physically 

 sound but reacting cattle is one of the most serious questions in the whole 

 tuberculosis problem. If some means can be devised which would release the 

 owner from some of the prohibitions which now seem to be considered neces- 

 sary, it would aid materially in encouraging the 6tock owner to eradicate 

 the disease from his herd. 



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