BY C. J. POUND, F.K.M.S. XXIX 



animals). The temperature of the animal must be taken before 

 the injection, which in general practice it is usually desirable to 

 make about 6 p.m. The temperature of the suspected animal 

 is taken again next morning at 6 o'clock, then at 9 a.m., 12 

 noon, B p.m., and the last one at 6 p.m. The diagnostic reaction 

 is measured by the difference between the initial normal tempera- 

 ture, which is about 101-5 Farenheit, and the highest temperature 

 recorded after injection. If this difference exceeds 1-5 Cent., 

 equal to 2'7 degrees Fahr., it may be affirmed that the animal is 

 tuberculous. It may happen that the animal at the time of the 

 proposed injection is feverish. This is caused often enough by 

 hot weather, excitement, or by some passing irregularity of the 

 digestive functions, and other physiological changes. It is better 

 in such cases to defer the operation. It is important also to 

 remember that in very tuberculous animals, those especially 

 which are phthisical in the proper sense of the word, the injection 

 of tuberculin may produce no rise of temperature v.'hatsoever ; 

 but there is no difficulty in these cases, as the clinical diagnosis 

 is always very easy. 



As an example of the certainty of Tuberculin as a means of 

 diagnosing tubercolosis in cattle, I will refer to the testing of tlie 

 historical Altlmrp I '(irk herd of high-class pedigree Jerseys, 

 belonging to Lord Spencer. In September, 1893. Prof. M'Fadyean, 

 of the Royal Veterinary College, London, paid a visit to Althorp 

 Park in order to inspect the herd, as two (2) of the animals were 

 reported to have died a short time previously from tuberculosis. 

 The herd comprised 18 cows, 1 bull, and -4 yearling heifers. On 

 clinical examination only one of the animals was suspected, viz., 

 a cow in which there was a distinct enlargement of one of the 

 pharyngeal-lymphatic glands. In none of the animals were the 

 respiratory movements notably disturbed. The man in charge 

 reported that all the aniuuils fed well, and that he had not 

 observed that any of them had a cough. With one exception, 

 the general condition of every animal in the herd Avas excellent, 

 and this exception was the cow referred to, which was 13 

 years old. The result of Prof. M'Fadyean's examination may 

 be summed up by saying that certainly in not more than one of 

 the 23 animals could he, with any degree of confidence, have 

 diagnosed tuberculosis. But, since two members of the herd had 



