434 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



considerably. The dose of imported tuberculin is 0.25 c. c. for an 

 adult cow, and before injection is diluted with sterile water to 2 c. c. 

 The tuberculin made by the Bureau of Animal Industry is prepared 

 so that it will not be necessary to dilute it, and the dose is 2 c. c. for 

 an adult animal. Yearlings and 2-year-olds, according to size, should 

 receive from 1 to 1^ c. c, wliile bulls and very large animals may 

 receive 3 c. c. 



6. The next day, at 6 a. m., commence taking temperatures, and 

 continue every two or three hours until the twentieth hour after in- 

 jection, at which time if there is no tendency for the temperature to 

 rise the test may cease. 



7. A rise of two or more degrees Fahrenheit above the maximum 

 temperature observed on the previous day, providing this tempera- 

 ture exceeds 103.8° F., should be regarded as an indication of tuber- 

 culosis. Those cases which approximate but do not reach this 

 standard should be considered as suspicious and held for a retest six 

 weeks later, giving double the original dose. 



TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS. 



Treatment of the disease is not seriously considered by any author- 

 ities at the present time. 



The measures to be adopted to prevent the spreading of the disease 

 must take into consideration not only the tubercle bacillus, but like- 

 wise all those circumstances which make cattle more susceptible to 

 the disease which have already been dw^elt upon. It would be useless 

 to repeat here all that has been said above on the transmission of 

 tubercle bacilli from one animal to another, and on the dangers of 

 certain debilitating influences. A careful study of these will show 

 how tuberculosis may, at least in some cases, be prevented. Great 

 care should be bestowed upon the breeding, the surroundings, and 

 the food of the animal, so that the latter may be put into a condition 

 to resist infection even when exposed to it. A tuberculin test should 

 be applied to all strange cattle before they are introduced into the 

 herd, and those which show a reaction should be refused. 



A rigid exclusion of tuberculous animals is all that is necessary to 

 prevent the appearance of the disease, provided cattle are not infected 

 by consumptive persons and animals, though it is probably unusual, 

 because the bacilli from man are, in the majority of cases, attenuated 

 and harmless for cattle. 



Tuberculosis in cattle must also be considered as bearing upon 

 tuberculosis of other domesticated animals, particularly hogs. In 

 Europe and the United States this disease is not so uncommon among 

 hogs, and appears to be on the increase. The reason for its existence 

 may be looked for in the feeding of pigs with skim milk, buttermilk, 

 and whey from creameries, with the otfal of the abattoirs, with the 



