332 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



having been kept with others until one not familiar at all 

 with the disease could discover that something was wrong, 

 and until unmistakable symptoms of disease of some kind 

 existed, would lead us to suppose that others had become 

 affected or had contracted the disease from them. 



There is no douljt that milk is sold daily in this State from 

 diseased cows. I know, or am informed from good authority, 

 of two herds of cows with hoof ail or foot-rot (or whatever 

 the proper name may be) that have been affected for a year 

 or more ; one sending milk to Boston daily, the other making 

 butter and sending to Springtield weekly. The milk from 

 tuberculous cows may be used or sold unwittingly at first, 

 as the disease is so insidious, and may be quite a long time 

 in developing ; but it is fatal. These bacilli are hard to kill, 

 and you will find them in the cream, in butter and cheese. 

 In milk, when boiled and reboiled, they are alive still. 



A national conference was held at Springfield, 111., in 

 December last, of State boards of live stock commissioners, 

 for the purpose of discussing what new and uniform legisla- 

 tion, if any, should be recommended for enactment by the 

 various State Legislatures for the extirpation of tuberculosis 

 and "big jaw" («6'<^?^om?/co.s^Vs') among cattle. Represent- 

 atives of the Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin 

 and Montana State boards were present. At this meeting, 

 a paper was read from the pen of Prof. James Law of 

 Cornell University, who has given this subject a great deal 

 of time and study, and, from his distinguished position, is 

 worthy of consideration. I quote some extracts from this 

 paper, to enforce the importance of this subject. He says : — 



The subject to be considered at Springfield is transcendently 

 important in view of the enormous mortality in our large city pop- 

 ulations, especially from tuberculosis. If, as according to different 

 statements, one in four, or one in seven, deaths in certain cities 

 are those of consumption, it follows that in this disease we confront 

 an evil to which the ravages of the much-dreaded cholera, yellow- 

 fever or small-pox are comparatively slight. Tuberculosis is un- 

 heeded because it is a "pestilence that stalketh in darkness," 

 because its onset is slow and hidden, and because its too-frequently 

 fatal ending is more or less delayed. ... If it affected the human 

 race only there might be more ground for hope ; but when Ave trace 



