Fattening Pigs in the Dry Lot 253 



the pigs fed milk coming from infected herds. Although 

 the disease, when present, rarely develops to the stage 

 where detection is possible in the live animal, inspection 

 after slaughter may result in the condemnation of the 

 carcass in whole or in part. 



At the Iowa Experiment Station, 1 80 pigs were divided 

 into two equal lots and fed for a period of 196 days rations 

 of grain and skim-milk. Lot I was fed skim-milk con- 

 taining virulent bacilli of tuberculosis artificially added 

 and lot II an equal quantity which had been pasteurized 

 at a temperature of 200 F. At the end of the test, both 

 lots of pigs appeared equally healthy, although those 

 receiving the clean milk gained a little faster than those 

 getting the tubercular milk. The results of the post 

 mortem inspection, however, were as follows : Of the 40 

 head fed tubercular skim-milk, all were affected with 

 tuberculosis; of the 40 head receiving the pasteurized 

 skim-milk, only two were infected. In the first lot 30 per 

 cent of the carcasses only were fit for human consumption, 

 45 per cent were fit only for lard, and 45 per cent were 

 entirely unfit for food or the making of food products. 



This practical test demonstrated conclusively that pigs 

 fed skim-milk containing the germs of tuberculosis may 

 in a relatively short time develop the disease sufficiently 

 to necessitate condemnation of the carcass for food. 



Out of a total of 7,343,746 hogs slaughtered under 

 Government inspection at the Chicago market in 1916, 

 24,526, or .33 per cent, were condemned for tuberculosis 

 as inedible. 2 It is the general claim of packers that 

 nearly 1 per cent of all hogs killed are condemned in whole 



1 Kennedy, Bobbins, Bouska, Bull. 92. 



2 H. R. Smith, Live-stock Commissioner, Chicago Live-stock 

 Exchange. 



