TUBERCULOSIS AND TUBERCULIN 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



JAMES B. I'AIGK, V. S. 



In Jfuiiiary, 1.^8'J, there was issued from this station a bulletin 

 prepared by Prof. C. H. Fernald upon the subject of Tuberculosis. 

 It treated of the general characteristics of the disease, its causes, 

 history, distribution, symptoms and prevention. The following year 

 one was prepared for the station b}' Harold C. Ernst, ]\L D., of 

 Boston, upon the subject of "How far may a cow be tuberculous 

 before tlie milk becomes dangerous as an article of food? " 



At that time, the public knew nothing of the use of Tuberculin as 

 a cure for consumption in persons or as a diagnostic of tuberculosis 

 in cattle. 



Within the past two years tuberculin has come into general nse in 

 the detection of this disease in cattle and while much has appeared in 

 the agricultural and other newspapers of the country, and in the 

 experiment station bulletins, upon its use for this purpose, to our 

 knowledge nothing but newspaper articles have in this state been 

 given to the public. 



While in most instances these articles have been favorable to its 

 employment, in some cases they have denounced it, claiming it to be 

 unreliable in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. This being the case, it 

 was thought advisable to publish the facts as thej- appeared in con- 

 nection with the existence of tuberculosis and the use of tuberculin 

 in the Massachusetts Agricultural College herd. 



