594 Tuberculosis. 



Every animal in the infected herd is subjected to careful examina- 

 tion and each animal which shows clinical evidence of tuberculosis, 

 but particularly those animals with symptoms of pulmonary, intestinal, 

 uterine or mammary disease are condemned and slaughtered, to be 

 used as food, subject to inspection under the laws of the country, or 

 condemned as food as the case may be. The remainder of the herd 

 consisting of clinically healthy appearing animals is then subjected 

 to the tuberculin test. All nonreactors which are free from all other 

 symptoms that might possibly point to the existence of tuberculosis 

 are then separated and isolated from the remainder of the herd. Each 

 herd is now placed in an entirely separate stable, the quarters for the 

 nonreactors or healthy portion of the herd having previously been 

 thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. In the absence of separate build- 

 ings a single building may be utilized by separating the quarters of 

 the two herds by means of a tight board wall and providing separate 

 exits for each herd. Young stock, calves, and working oxen should have 

 quarters of their own. Each herd or group must have separate at- 

 tendants that have absolutely no contact whatever with the other herd. 

 If an animal in the reacting herd at any time develops clinical symptoms 

 of tuberculosis it must be removed at once and disposed of preferably 

 by slaughter. The remaining animals in the reacting herd may be 

 used as before for breeding and dairy purposes, providing they exhibit 

 no clinical evidence of tuberculosis. Yearlings and other young stock 

 reacting to the tuberculin test had best be discarded for breeding pur- 

 poses at once and for all time. Where special reasons exist for desiring 

 to breed certain reacting young heifers this may be permitted but only 

 on the condition that they be quartered with the reacting portion of 

 the herd. Reacting calves under six months of age should always be 

 destroyed or disposed of by slaughter. 



The calves dropped by the healthy "non-reacting" cows should 

 remain with their dams while those from the reactors, after being per- 

 mitted to suck for twenty-four hours so that they may get the colostrum, 

 are removed from their dams and quartered with the healthy portion 

 of the herd and provided with nurse com^s or fed by hand with fresh 

 milk from nonreactors or with milk obtained from other sources, but 

 sterilized by heating to at least 85° C. Particular attention should 

 be paid to the cleanliness of utensils used as well as to the "hands of 

 the attendants in charge of the feeding of these young animals. It is 

 self-evident, of course, that the quarters where these calves are kept 

 should be kept scrupulously clean and occasionally disinfected. Wher- 

 ever it is possible to do so, the calves might be kept in separate quarters 

 for the first few weeks after birth. If any of the calves become affected 

 with diarrhea, they should be isolated at once and the former quarters 

 thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and treated Avith a hot solution of lye. 



As soon as weaned the calves should be subjected to the tuberculin 

 test and all reactors disposed of (the loss in this process hardly ever 

 exceeds one or two per cent). After this they may be added to the 

 free herd or kept in separate calf quarters or with the other young 

 stock. Until used for breeding purposes they should be kept out of 

 doors or on pasture as much as possible and under no conditions may; 

 they be allowed to come in contact with the reacting portion of the 

 herd. The young heifers, after being bred, should be retested with 

 tuberculin and if found free from disease, added to the free herd, 

 other-v^dse isolated with the reactors. (It is only occasionally that it 

 is found necessary to add an animal to the reacting herd.) 



