TUBERCULIN TEST ORDINANCES. 73 



number of cities having the test. The list as given in the 

 Minnesota exhibit at the International Congress on Tubercu- 

 losis, Washington, 1908, is as follows: Minneapolis, St. Paul, 

 St. Cloud, Alexandria, Duluth, Mankato, Litchfield, Willmar, 

 Albert Lea and Winona. Montclair, N. J., is at present the 

 scene of a legal struggle between the dairymen and the Board 

 of Health, on the matter of the enforcement of a tuberculin 

 test ordinance. The Board of Health of Berkeley, Cal.,has 

 attempted to enforce two different tuberculin test ordinances 

 but has been enjoined by the courts from doing so in each case. 



The complete, impartial enforcement of an ordinance pro- 

 hibiting the sale of milk from reacting cattle raises a host of 

 difficulties occasioned by the wide prevalence of tuberculosis. 

 The condemnation of, say, 25% of the cows supplying a city, 

 throws all the producers into the market for cows. Those for 

 sale are those .that have just reacted. During the excitement of 

 the enforcement of the tuberculin test ordinance, cow owners 

 will not sell cows subject to the test. Compliance with the 

 ordinance means reduction of the output of milk. Producers 

 will refuse to sell to the distributors in the city, and will market 

 the milk elsewhere. The dairies that at present are able to 

 comply with a tuberculin test ordinance, represent an insignifi- 

 cant per cent, of the milk supply of our larger cities. 



Clean herds the goal. In isolated instances, the complete 

 enforcement of a tuberculin test ordinance is practicable, and 

 this should be the end towards which efforts everywhere should 

 be directed. The difficulties of the problem presented by the 

 larger cities must be met by a scheme that will permit gradual 

 improvement. Even with a bountiful supply of healthy cows 

 available, and with the cordial co-operation of the owners of 

 herds, the work of testing the herds and eradicating tubercu- 

 losis is a tremendous task and would take years. The con- 

 tinuance of present conditions must be discouraged, the public 

 health must be protected, and at the same time the measures 

 enforced must not disrupt the milk business. 



The \Vashington plan. The most practicable scheme that 

 has been suggested is the compulsory pasteurization of all 

 milk produced from cows that have not passed the tuberculin 



