Frequency of Tuberculosis. 99 



[The extent of tuberculous infection among cattle in the United 

 States is indicated by the statistical reports of the Federal Bureau 

 of Animal Industry. According to these figures out of 400,000 

 cattle tested, there were 37,000 reactors or 9.25%. The majority 

 of these animals were dairy cattle, from which fact the conclusion 

 has been drawn that approximately 10% of the dairy cattle in this 

 country are affected with tuberculosis. On the other hand the meat 

 inspection statistics show that 6,978,293 cattle were slaughtered in 

 official establishments during 1913, of which 75,870 were found 

 tuberculous, suggesting that probably 1% of beef cattle are affected 

 with tuberculosis to some degree. Trans.] 



The relative frequency of tuberculosis of the udder corres- 

 ponds to the numerous occurrences of bovine tuberculosis. 



According to Bergmann 3.5% of the tuberculous cows slaugh- 

 tered at Malmo were also affected with tuberculosis of the udder. 

 Ostertag estimates the appearance of tuberculosis of the udder in 

 0.1 to 0.3% for Germany. These figures of course increase in lo- 

 calities in which the other forms of tuberculosis occur with greater 

 frequency. Thus Meyer-Stendal report that out of 818 cows 4% 

 showed udder tuberculosis. Meissner found in 1910 from all cows 

 examined in Posen 0.32% affected with udder tuberculosis. 



Bugge mentions out of 16,050 cows included in the eradication 

 work at Schleswig-Holstein in 1906, the presence of tubercle bacilli 

 in 30 out of 318 examinations of mixed milk, and in 27 out of 562 

 individual milk tests of suspected cows. 



In 1907 the tests for tuberculosis of 258 samples of mixed 

 milk, revealed tubercle bacilli in 35 while out of 597 individual milk 

 samples, tubercle bacilli were found in 32, which corresponds to 

 0.14% of open udder tuberculosis in the 23,278 examined animals 

 (pulmonary tuberculosis 5.1%). 



In 1908 these numbers amounted to 0.124 to 2.644% respec- 

 tively out of 38,454 animals. 



In the presence of such an extension it should be not at all 

 surprising that market milk contains tubercle bacilli with extraor- 

 dinary frequency. Examinations for this purpose were under- 

 taken as early as 1893 by Montefusko in Naples, in 1894 by F'riis 

 in Copenhagen, in 1895 by Obermuller and Fiorentini, in 1898 by 

 Petri, 1900 by Beck in Berlin, in 1895 by Zacharbeko in Petersburg, 

 1897 by Massone in Genoa, Buege in Halle, Boyce and Delepine in 

 Liverpool, Klein in London, Nonewitsch in Wilna, Stepanow in 

 Kasan, Bujwid in Krakau, and in 1905 to 1906 by Eber in Leipzig, 

 with varying results. 



The numbers of tubercular infection of market milk obtained 

 (other investigators for instance Brusaferro, Roth, Schuchardt, 

 Groning, Petri, Eabinowitsch, Hermann and Morgenroth, Ascher, 

 Coggi, Bonhoff, Herbert, Markl, Herr and Beninde, Eber and others 

 experimented with butter and cheese) fluctuated between and 

 100%. 



