THE COMBAT AGAINST BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. 269 
any other disease. The insidiousness with which it finds its way 
into and spreads through the whole herd, even before the farmer is 
aware of its presence, the large number of cattle rendered worthless 
through its agency, especially among high-bred and valuable ani- 
mals, the suspicion which it throws upon the milk-supply, the 
injury that it does to the animal which is to be used as food, the 
great cost of tuberculosis legislation by the different States, all 
these serve to emphasize the seriousness of the problem. Nothing 
can be of more importance to the farmer than the discovery of some 
means of controlling this disease. Legislation designed to control 
it has been adopted by most states in Europe and America, but 
such legislation has usually had in mind the protection of the public 
rather than the assistance of the farmer. 
THE COMBAT AGAINST BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. 
Resistance of Cattle. The foundation of a successful contest 
against the disease is a herd of animals in a proper condition to 
resist it. This side of the question is too commonly neglected, 
and nearly all of the attempts made to combat the disease have 
been directed solely toward devising measures for preventing the 
distribution of the bacillus. It is, however, impossible absolutely 
to prevent the bacillus from being distributed by diseased ani- 
mals, and occasional infection will occur in spite of all preventive 
measures. Without some efforts directed toward producing a 
healthy herd of resisting animals, it is quite certain that the endeavor 
to prevent the distribution of the disease will be unsatisfactory. 
It is doubtless much more easy to give the farmer directions 
looking toward the prevention of the spread of the bacillus, than 
it is to instruct him how he may increase the resisting power of 
his animals. But nevertheless some suggestions may be made 
which, if carried out, will certainly improve the conditions and 
induce better health and, hence, greater resisting powers. There 
is little doubt that in a majority of cases the cattle need more air. 
Too many are crowded together in a small space in the winter season 
and there is too little ventilation of the cow stalls. In the attempt 
