9 



veterinarians to apply tuberculin to suspected animals to see if a 

 similar reaction resulted. Numerous experiments showed this 

 to be the case, and since 1891 the use of tuberculin as a diag- 

 nostic agent for Tuberculosis of cattle has been almost univer- 

 sally adopted in all parts of the civilized world. No one thinks 

 of accepting tuberculin as an absolutely infallible remedy, but it 

 is more dependable than any other method that has been used 

 up to the present time. 



Tuberculin is the sterilized and jSltered glycerine extract 

 of cultures of tubercle germs. It contains the cooked products 

 of the growth of these germs, but not the germs themselves. 

 Therefore, when the tuberculin is injected under the skin of an 

 animal, it is absolutely unable to produce Tuberculosis, cause 

 abortion, or effect the milk, or otherwise injure the animal. In 

 fact, if the injected animal is of normal health, there is no more 

 effect upon the system than would be observed from the injec- 

 tion of sterilized water. If, on the other hand, the animal is 

 tuberculous, a decided rise of temperature is observed after 

 the use of the tuberculin. 



The method of applying the tuberculin is as follows, or 

 that is the method that we use. Twenty-four hours before we 

 inject the animal we take the temperature every two hours, so 

 as to get the normal readings of temperature. We select for 

 the point of injection a spot just behind the right foreshoulder. 

 We clip the hairs with a horse clipper about the size of a silver 

 dollar, wash thoroughly with soap and hot water, and disinfect 

 it with a 5% Sulpho Napthol solution. The hands being dis- 

 infected as well as the sponge, pick up the skin between fore 

 finger and thumb, and inject the tuberculin. The time of in- 

 jection that we practice is at 10 a. m., and we always use the 

 freshly prepared product, although it is stated that tuberculin 

 wil keep indefinitely if put up in dark colored bottles and stood 

 in a dark place. For our part, we prefer to take no chances, 

 and thus get the best possible results. 



We commence to take temperatures after the injection of the 

 tuberculin, at 5 a. m., the next morning, and continue at inter- 

 vals of every two hours until 12 midnight, which covers a time 

 of nineteen hours. Some of our knowing friends say that it 

 is not necessary, and is too much work, but it is much harder 

 to lose a good herd than it is to do this work. 



