342 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



late in the afternoon or during early evening. The several 

 readings are for the purpose of finding the normal tempera- 

 ture previous to the employment of the tuberculin. Ordi- 

 narily, with animals under normal conditions, it is hardly 

 necessary to take more than two or three readings, the last 

 of which should be made just before the tuberculin is used. 

 A careful record of all temperatures should be kept, and 

 should any be found higher than normal, the testing should 

 be postponed until the temperature has returned to its nor- 

 mal. This varies in different animals within comparatively 

 narrow limits under varying conditions, but should never as 

 a rule be above 102° or 102.5° F. 



Having obtained the normal temperature of the animalj 

 the tuberculin should be prepared for use. When it is pur- 

 chased in the concentrated form it should be diluted, one 

 part of tuberculin being added to nine parts of a 1 per cent 

 solution of carbolic acid, prepared with distilled water. By 

 some manufacturers it is diluted before being sold ; in such 

 cases it is to be used in the form in which it is purchased. 



To prepare the animal for the injection of the tuberculin, 

 the hair should be clipped from a part of the skin as large as 

 a silver dollar, on the neck, brisket, on the part of the side 

 just back of the elbow or at a point just back of the scapula, 

 midway between the backbone and the point of the elbow. 

 This area should then be thoroughly cleansed with a 5 

 per cent solution of carbolic acid. A strong hypodermic 

 syringe, with a capacity of about 2\ cubic centimeters, thor- 

 oughly cleaned by being filled and emptied several times 

 with a 5 per cent solution of carbolic acid or some other 

 equally good antiseptic, should be filled with the dilute 

 solution of tuberculin. A whole or a part of the contents of 

 the syringe may then be injected under the skin of that por- 

 tion of the body previously prepared for its introduction. 



After removal of the needle, a few light strokes with the 

 fingers upon the part will serve to spread the fluid evenly 

 about under the skin. Care should be taken not to inject 

 any air with the solution. This can be easily avoided by 

 holding the syringe, after it has been filled, needle end up, 

 when the bubble of air will rise to the top of the column of 



