No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 493 



Number condemned as tuberculous : — 



Brighton, 2* 



Watertown, 3 



Somerville, 4 



Number found to be diseased on post-mortem examination : — 



Brighton, 2 



Watertown 3 



Somerville, 4 



As the result of the new regulations, it will be seen that only 

 14.9 per cent, of the animals arriving at Brighton, Watertown 

 and Somerville, for purposes other than immediate slaughter, 

 or for export, were required to be examined. Of the 987 ani- 

 mals examined, only 9 were pronounced diseased on tuberculin 

 test, and all of these, upon being killed and examined, were 

 found to be diseased. 



While the tests so made were but few, the indication from 

 this experience is that tuberculin can be used with almost abso- 

 lute accuracy at these markets, if it can be applied under proper 

 conditions ; and therefore, if it ever becomes necessary to again 

 inaugurate the compulsory system of examination of all cattle 

 coming to these markets, it must be under some system whereby 

 the animals can be kept in quarantine, under normal conditions, 

 for a period of at least six days. 



In regard to the certificates accompanying animals tested 

 without the State, the commission desires here to call the atten- 

 tion of your honorable body to the fact that, while every possi- 

 ble ^precaution is exercised to insure good, reliable work, as has 

 already been shown, this Board has no actual or personal 

 knowledge as to the conditions under which the test has been 

 applied in any given instance, and it cannot therefore be held 

 to be responsible for any errors that may be made ; but, out of 

 the total number of animals which have entered the State in 

 the past six months, under these certificates, the attention of 

 the commission has been called to but four cases wherein an 

 animal has proved to be tuberculous. In most of these cases, 

 as far as can be ascertained, the difficulty seems to have been 



* There were eighteen other animals whose temperatures before inoculation were 

 higher than that upon which action is taken by this Board. Consequently the animals, 

 although subjected to the test, were continued in quarantine for a subsequent test at 

 such time as they should be found to be in normal condition, but upon request of the 



owners they were released for immediate slaughter. 



