No. 4.] STABLE MANAGEMENT. 191 



milk, etc. Do you think there is danger to the consumers 

 of the products? 



Dr. Osgood. We look upon the danger as being certain 

 where the udder is diseased, and possibly so in other cases. 



Professor Brooks (of Amherst). Is it safe for a farmer 

 to buy an animal on the tuberculin test, when it has passed 

 the test successfully, of course, out of a herd where the 

 disease exists? In other woids, I had this thought in 

 mind : might that animal very recently have taken the 

 germs of disease into her system, and not yet got such a 

 foothold as to give any reaction, but still do so later? 



Dr. Osgood. I believe that that very case would give 

 you the highest reaction you could get, even before the 

 lesion had become sufficiently developed to be recognized 

 by the naked eye. 



Professor Brooks. Perhaps it would very seldom be 

 found ; but suppose there was no lesion at all, but the germ 

 had just passed into the respiratory organs? 



Dr. Osgood. There has just been an important case in 

 Germany, — just such a case as you present. The animal 

 gave a reaction to tuberculin, — a marked, high reaction. 

 An autopsy was made, and no lesion was found. The owner 

 immediately brought suit. Parts of the bowels were taken 

 to a laboratory in Berlin, where they were examined, and 

 found to be all alive with bacilli ; no lesion was found even 

 with the microscope. The bacilli had just gained entrance 

 to the body. 



Question. Is it entirely safe to buy an animal on the 

 tuberculin test? 



Dr. Osgood. I do not think there is any danger in buy- 

 ing an animal from a tuberculous herd, provided you do 

 not introduce her into a diseased herd, and provided she 

 does not show any evidence of tuberculosis. 



Mr. Bull. Suppose the germs of disease have not even 

 gained entrance into the body, — may they not be in the 

 hair ? 



Dr. Osgood. You can avoid that by giving her a good 

 washing. 



Mr. Piiatt. Have you any knowledge that tuberculin 

 can have any injurious effect on cows? 



