480 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The records of the Copenhagen slaughter houses, for the 

 years 1890 to 1893 inclusive, show that, out of 337,014 

 sheep, 1 was found showing evidence of tuberculosis. The 

 records of the Berlin slaughter houses for 1892 and 1893 show 

 that, out of 335,949 sheep slaughtered, 15 showed evidence of 

 tuberculosis. 



In the case of swine, the Board, some time prior to the pas- 

 sage of this law, issued instructions to inspectors to ascertain 

 as far as possible to what extent tuberculosis existed among 

 this class of animals in their districts. The inspectors were 

 asked to make post-mortem examinations whenever the oppor- 

 tunity offered, and to report the results of those examinations 

 to the Board. In accordance with this request, many commu- 

 nications were received stating that tuberculosis had been 

 found, and many specimens were sent to the laboratory show- 

 ins; unmistakable lesions of the disorder as existing in the 

 lungs, livers and entire lymphatic system of these animals. 



While this state of affairs was well known to exist, the 

 Board has always considered that the difficulties surrounding 

 the examination of live swine, for determining the presence in 

 them of tuberculosis, were so great as to amount to an imprac- 

 ticability, in the cases of the local inspectors ; and it has never, 

 therefore, issued instructions to those inspectors as to methods 

 to be pursued in examining these animals for that disease. 

 The Board has realized, also, that the danger of communication 

 of the disease from swine to other animals and to man is very 

 limited, because of the fact that, so far as man is concerned, the 

 only product of these animals eaten is derived from the flesh, 

 and that in all cases, except among a certain portion of our 

 German population, this product is so thoroughly cooked 

 before being eaten as to kill the germ of tuberculosis ; and, 

 further, in regard to the transmission of the disease from swine 

 to other animals, that the way in which swine are kept is one 

 that prevents, of itself, any great liability of the extension of 

 the disease to cattle ; and, above all, that the life of swine is so 

 short that any danger which may exist in this direction is nat- 

 urally reduced to a minimum. 



Up to March of this year, the regulations issued by this 

 Board to inspectors required them to make two regular inspec- 

 tions of neat cattle in each year ; the first one to be made dur- 



