754 Tuberculosis 



Smith,* all of whom think distinct resisting power against 

 infection by the tubercle bacillus can thus be brought about. 



Tuberculin Test for Tuberculosis of Cattle. The febrile 

 reaction caused by the injection of tuberculin into tubercu- 

 lous animals is an important adjunct to our means of diag- 

 nosticating the disease. For the recognition of tuberculosis 

 in cattle it is easily carried out. 



To make a satisfactory diagnostic test the temperature of 

 the animal should be taken every few hours for a day or two 

 before the tuberculin is administered, in order that the nor- 

 mal diurnal and nocturnal variations of temperature shall 

 be known. The tuberculin is then administered by hypoder- 

 mic injection into the shoulder or flank, and the tem- 

 perature subsequently taken every two hours for the next 

 twenty-four hours. A reaction of two degrees beyond that 

 normal to the individual animal is positive of tuberculosis. 

 After one reaction of this kind the animal will not again 

 react to an equal dose of tuberculin for a number of weeks. 



FOWL TUBERCULOSIS. 

 BACILLUS TUBERCULOSIS AVIUM. 



The occasional spontaneous occurrence of tuberculosis in 

 chickens, parrots, ducks, and other birds, observed as early 

 as 1868 by Rolofff and Paulicki, { was originally attributed 

 to Bacillus tuberculosis hominis, but the work of Rivolta, 

 Mafucci,|| Cadio, Gilbert and Roger,** and others has shown 

 that, while similar to it in many respects, the organism 

 found in the avian diseases has distinct peculiarities which 

 make it a different variety, if not a separate species. Cadio, 

 Gilbert, and Roger succeeded in infecting fowls by feeding 

 them upon food containing tubercle bacilli, and keeping 

 them in cages in which dust containing tubercle bacilli was 

 placed. The infection was aided by lowering the tempera- 

 ture of the birds with antipyrin and lessening their vitality 

 by starvation. 



* ''Journal of Medical Research," June, 1908, xvm, No. 3, p. 451. 

 f'Mag. f. d. ges. Tierheilkunde," 1868. 

 t "Beitr. zur vergl. Anat.," Berlin, 1872. 

 "Giorn. anat. fisiol. e. path.," Pisa, 1883. 

 || "Zeitschrift fur Hygiene," Bd. xi. 

 ** "La Semaine medicale," 1890, p. 45. 



