THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 81 



gress on Tuberculosis in Washington on September 29, 1908. Dr. 

 Melvin observes that, while it must be realized that the exclusion of 

 tuberculous meat and dairy products from the food supply means 

 an appreciable reduction in the quantity of available food, with a 

 corresponding tendency to an increase in the cost of such commodi- 

 ties, no nation is so wealthy that it can afford to sacrifice year after 

 year a considerable and increasing proportion of its food supply, 

 especially when by proper means the loss can be reduced and in time 

 entirely prevented. 



The animals principally infected with tuberculosis, he states, are 

 cattle and hogs, the disease being easily communicated from the 

 former to the latter by the common practice of giving skim milk to 

 the hogs and allowing them to feed on the excrement of the cattle. 

 When we consider, in addition to the loss occasioned by the necessity 

 of slaughtering cattle and hogs, the considerable depreciation in the 

 value of these animals when affected with the disease, if remaining 

 alive, as also the effect of decreasing the productiveness of dairy cows 

 by diminishing the yield of milk, as well as by shortening their lives, 

 and consequently the period during which they produce milk; and 

 when we realize, furthermore, that there are doubtless other sources 

 of loss chargeable to this disease in live stock, it is conservatively 

 estimated by Dr. Melvin that the tribute which the United States 

 pays each year to this scourge among its farm animals aggregates 

 more than $23,000,000. Consider in addition to this enormous ex- 

 action the bearing of animal tuberculosis on human life, and it seems 

 imperative that vigorous measures should be promptly adopted to 

 eradicate the disease from our herds. 



The work of the Federal Government, as carried on by the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry, has thus for been exerted in this connection in 

 supplying tuberculin free of charge to State officials, in endeavoring 

 to prevent the interstate shipment of tuberculous animals, and in 

 tracing, when practicable, the origin of animals found to be affected 

 with tuberculosis. 



It has been contended that the rigid enforcement of the tuberculin 

 test and the condemnation of unhealthy cattle will produce a tem- 

 porary, if not a permanent, shortage in the local milk supply. This 

 condition, should it become apparent, will, it is believed by the com- 

 mittee, be readily met by resorting to pasteurization to render in- 

 nocuous the milk derived from affected cattle and by authorizing the 

 delivery and consumption of milk so treated from cattle which have 

 not withstood the tuberculin test until such time as may reasonably 

 be required to replace with healthy cattle animals found to be dis- 

 eased. 



While the committee places itself on record as unqualifiedly favor- 

 ing the application of the tuberculin test, it is especially recommended 

 that the test be gradually applied; that is to say, that a reasonable 

 amount of time be reserved before the test shall be rigorously exacted, 

 and that the herds supplying milk to the District be inspected seri- 

 atim, with such gradualness as may be intelligently calculated to 

 enable the replenishment of the herds by the replacement of such 

 animals as may be eliminated by operation of the test. The District 

 Commissioners have, upon the recommendation of Dr. Woodward, 



82444 S. Doc. 863, 61-3 6 



