No. 4.] MILK INSPECTION. 93 



number of animals inspected at the second inspection was 87. 

 To recapitulate, of 87 animals which I have had tested for 

 tuberculosis 11 have been condemned. One segregated as a 

 suspect was found, on a retest, to be free of disease. It is 

 only proper to say that of the total number of 87 which were 

 inspected, a large number were heifers that had been born on 

 the place or purchased as young heifers, and were tested for 

 the first time. None of these heifers reacted, so the total 

 reactors were among about 60 purchased animals, which makes 

 the percentage of reactors still larger. Another interesting 

 point is that of the total number, 11, condemned out of the 

 purchased herd of about 60, 7 were from a purchase of 10 ani- 

 mals at one place and only 4 were found among the other 

 animals purchased, about 50 in number. On laying these 

 facts before a competent veterinarian he said there was no 

 doubt of the fact that there was a general tuberculosis among 

 this herd which was not sufficiently developed to give a re- 

 action at the time of inspection and sale, and which reacted 

 in only 5 of the animals at the first inspection after they had 

 been on my own farm for about three months. This fact 

 shows the great circumspection which a dairyman should ex- 

 ercise in the purchase of animals subject to the tuberculin 

 test. He may get hold of animals, where there has been per- 

 fect good faith between buyer and seller, which speedily de- 

 velop the disease, and thus become practically a total loss. 



My experience, of course, is of such a character as to lead 

 me to be more firmly convinced than I ever was before of the 

 fact that when men honestly endeavor to secure animals free 

 from a disease of this kind and fail, it is not quite in harmony 

 with the principles of justice to expect them to bear the whole 

 loss. The elimination of tuberculpus animals from a herd is 

 for the benefit of the community as well as of the owner, and the 

 community should bear a part of the expense. I think that if 

 it could be arranged so that the State or the nation could pay 

 three-fourths of the value of the animals slaughtered, an equi- 

 table plan of adjustment would be secured. In other words, 

 the owner of the animal would suffer one-fourth of the loss, 

 and the community, for whose benefit the inspection was 

 made, would pay for three-fourths of the loss. During the 



