62 THE MILK SITUATION- IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



nation of milk from this source during the ordinary process of milk- 

 ing compels the conclusion that tuberculosis among dairy cows is 

 one of the greatest dangers to which the public is exposed, and that 

 every effort should be exerted to remove this very prevalent cause 

 of the disease among human beings. 



The accuracy of tuberculin as a diagnostic agent has, as has been 

 stated, been established in over 98 per cent of the cases tested. The 

 only instances, generally speaking, in which it has not been efficient 

 are when the disease is in an advanced stage and has become so gen- 

 eralized that the ordinary dose of tuberculin has no appreciable 

 effect with so much natural tuberculin in the system of the animal 

 (in which condition the effects of the disease are usually clearly 

 observable by visual examination), or when, by reason of the appli- 

 cation of the tuberculin test shortly before, the animal fails to react 

 or respond, which tendency to unresponsivaness lasts generally about 

 six weeks. The test is also inoperative in certain instances which 

 are, however, as a rule clearly detectable by the veterinarian when 

 making the examination. 



It was represented by the milk producers and dealers at the hear- 

 ings of the committee that the proposed enforcement of the tuber- 

 culin test was impracticable and onerous for the reason that the 

 reliability of tuberculin as a diagnostic agent had not been estab- 

 lished, and for the further reason that, if the test be insisted upon, 

 the milk producers would refuse to submit their herds to the test 

 and would ship their product to Baltimore and other markets, caus- 

 ing a permanent shortage in the milk supply of the District and a 

 correspondingly increased price to the consumer, rendering it im- 

 possible for the poorer classes to purchase milk, thereby compelling 

 the use by them of prepared milks and other substitutes of alleged 

 inferior quality. 



TUBERCULIN TEST MANDATORY IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



It is perhaps not generally known to the public that the tuberculin 

 test has been compulsorily applied in the District of Columbia ; that 

 is to say, that all cattle actually maintained within the boundaries 

 of the District have been subjected to the test since November 27, 1909. 

 This observation does not extend, however, to herds in Maryland 

 and Virginia, from which the major portion of our milk supply is 

 obtained. 



On the date mentioned the District Commissioners issued a series 

 of regulations (Appendix AB) providing for the compulsory 

 tuberculin testing of all cattle within the District, as a result of 

 which practically all the cattle in the District have now been sub- 

 jected to the test. 



The first prosecution under the above regulations was undertaken 

 in the local police court since the date that this committee commenced 

 its investigations. The defendant was arraigned on the charge of 

 violating section 4 of the regulations, in not permitting inspecting 

 veterinarians to apply the tuberculin test to a cow on November 

 28, last. On an agreed statement of facts, argument was had result- 

 ing in a verdict against the defendant. The defendant was not 

 represented by counsel, and it is not known whether the case will be 

 appealed. It is expected that the decision in this case will confirm 



