362 AGRICULTURAL BACTERIOLOGY. 



means of controlling this disease. Legislation designed to 

 control it has been adopted by most states in Europe and 

 America, but such legislation has had usually in mind the 

 protection of the public rather than the assistance of the far- 

 mer. If the latter phase of the matter had been taken into 

 more careful consideration, such legislation would have been 

 more successful. 



THE COMBAT AGAINST BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. 



The extreme importance of this disease for agriculture 

 makes it not out of place to give here a summary of the im- 

 portant facts which have been settled as bearing upon the 

 methods of protecting cattle against this disease. Protection 

 against tuberculosis depends upon the principles and facts 

 already mentioned, but in their application a number of points 

 must be borne in mind. 



Resistance of Cattle. The first thing to be remembered is 

 that the foundation of a successful contest against the disease 

 in a herd is that the animals should be in a proper condition 

 to resist it. This side of the question is too commonly neg- 

 lected, and nearly all of the attempts made to combat the dis- 

 ease have been directed solely toward devising measures for 

 preventing the distribution of the bacillus. It is, however, ad- 

 mitted to-day that it is impossible absolutely to prevent the 

 bacillus from being distributed from diseased animals, and oc- 

 casional 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 direc- 

 tions looking toward the prevention of the spread of the bacil- 

 lus, than it is to instruct him how he may increase the resist- 

 ing power of his animals. But nevertheless some suggestions 

 may be made which, if carried out, will certainly improve the 



