THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 409 



As tuberculosis of hogs is almost invariably due to bovine infection, this 

 recommendation should also be made to apply to hogs of any age shipped for 

 slaughter. 



It is further recommended that the discovery of tuberculosis in animals 

 coming under Government inspection should be used whenever identification 

 is possible as a means of locating infected herds and premises. All such cases 

 should be reported to the proper authorities for control action. 



RESOLUTION 6. Disposition of tuberculous animals The commission plan. 



1. As a general policy in the eradication of tuberculosis the separation of 

 healthy and diseased animals and the construction of a healthy herd are 

 recommended. 



In order to accomplish this the following recommendations are made: 



(1) If the herd is found to be extensively infected, as shown by the tubercu- 

 lin test or clinical examination, even the apparently healthy animals in it 

 should be regarded with suspicion until they have been separated from the 

 reacting animals for at least three months. 



If, after the expiration of this time, they do not react to the tuberculin test, 

 they may be considered healthy and dealt with accordingly. 



It is recommended that a herd extensively infected should not be treated by 

 the method of general separation, but that the construction "of a new herd from 

 the offspring only is advisable. 



(2) If the herd is found, by either or both of the above methods, to contain 

 a relatively small proportion of diseased animals separation of the diseased 

 animals from the healthy animals and the construction of a sound herd from 

 the healthy animals, and the offspring of both, is advocated. 



As a working basis in carrying out these principles, we advise : 



(a) That herds containing 50 per cent or more of diseased animals be 



treated as coming under section 1. 



(6) That herds containing under 15 per cent of diseased animals be treated 



as coming under section 2. 



(c) That herds falling between these figures be graded according to the 

 option of the owner. 



(d) That it shall be the prerogative of the owner to reject either plan and 

 have his herd dealt with by removal and slaughter of diseased animals, with 

 or without compensation, according to the public policy in operation. 



2. That when by any means the officials properly charged with the control of 

 tuberculosis become aware of its existence in a herd to which a policy of 

 slaughter and compensation can not reasonably be applied, such herd must be 

 dealt with by the owner, under Government supervision, on the principle of the 

 separation of all sound animals from those affected. Such separation must be 

 effected by treating the whole herd as diseased, and rearing the calves sepa- 

 rately, either on pasteurized milk or the milk of healthy cows, or, when the 

 number of those affected is so small as to warrant such a course, by the appli- 

 cation to the whole herd, from time to time, under official supervision, of the 

 tuberculin test, and the entire segregation of all animals found to react. 



In the event of any owner refusing or neglecting to adopt either of the above 

 methods, his entire herd to be closely quarantined and sales therefrom to be 

 entirely prohibited. 



3. That a policy of compensation be recommended as useful and usually 

 necessary as a temporary measure. 



4. That, when slaughter is necessary, in order to avoid economic loss, every 

 effort should be made to utilize as far as possible the meat of such animals as 

 may be found fit for food, on being slaughtered under competent inspection. 



5. The details of commission plan wi}l be found fully set forth in the ap- 

 pendix to this report. 



RESOLUTION 7. Prevention. 



1. That, with the object of preventing the spread of infection, persons buying 

 cattle for breeding purposes or milk production should, except when such pur- 

 chases are made from disease-free herds which have been tested by a properly 

 qualified person, purchase only subject to the tuberculin test. In order to 

 assist in the proper carrying out of this suggestion the commission recom- 

 mends that official authorities should adopt such regulations as will prevent the 

 entry to their respective territories of cattle for breeding purposes or milk 

 production unless accompanied by satisfactory tuberculin-test charts. 



