544 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The commission has endeavored during the past year to care- 

 fully observe the effect of the use of this diagnostic agent upon 

 the healthy animals, and no case has been brought to the atten- 

 tion of the commission in which any injury could be directly 

 traced to the use of tuberculin. Perhaps no better evidence 

 can be obtained of the general opinion that tuberculin produces 

 no injurious effect upon healthy animals than the fact that in 

 the open markets of this Commonwealth animals which have 

 been so tested sell more readily in competition with untested 

 animals, and at, if anything, better prices. 



Further, but few thoroughbred or pedigree animals can be 

 sold to-day unless such animals are accompanied by a certificate 

 of having successfully passed the tuberculin test ; and finally, 

 as is shown by the recent experience of this commission, the 

 greatly increased and increasing number of applications for the 

 test, coming from all parts of the State. 



Sanitation. 



The matter of the sanitary condition of stables and premises 

 is an important one in connection with the consideration of the 

 general health of animals, and is particularly so in all questions 

 concerning the eradication of tuberculous disease. The ques- 

 tion of whether an animal will become affected with tuberculosis 

 depends upon two conditions : first, the presence of the germ ; 

 second, a receptive condition of the individual which will enable 

 any germs which may obtain lodgement to develop and multi- 

 ply and thus produce the disease. 



In order to suppress tuberculosis, it is necessary not only to 

 destroy the diseased animals, but to remove other sources of 

 contagion by means of cleansing and disinfecting stables ; and 

 also to see that the animals are kept under such proper sanitary 

 conditions as will render them practically immune to contagion 

 which may be presented to them. 



In view of the great prevalence of this disease throughout 

 the neat stock of the Commonwealth, the commission feels that 

 the first important step is to destroy the main sources of con- 

 tagion, — that is, the diseased animals, — and that, upon this 

 being done, the premises should be disinfected and otherwise 

 put into proper sanitary condition. It is useless to prescribe 



