Commission Report: Tuberculosis, 21 
in the past has given very interesting results. For instance, when 
the occurrence of tuberculosis among hogs at an abattoir is fol- 
lowed up by a tuberculin test of the cattle on the home farm 
it practically always discloses tuberculosis among these animals. 
Like much other evidence this encourages us to believe that tuber- 
culosis among hogs will cease to exist as an economically im- 
portant problem as soon as we succeed in controlling the bovine 
source of tubercle bacilli. 
III. THE TUBERCULIN TEST. 
When the tuberculin test is applied to cattle for any purpose it 
should be clearly understood that the reacting animals are to be 
regarded in every sense of the word as recognized cases of tuber- 
culosis, which under an obligatory notification law, must be re- 
ported at once to the proper authority. In this way tuberculin 
will serve as an important means of locating tuberculosis among 
cattle that are tested for reasons like the following: 
(1) To obtain healthy animals for export. 
(2) To make sure that animals imported are free from tuber- 
culosis. - 
(3) To make sure that animals intended for interstate 
movement are free from tuberculosis. And here we would like 
to suggest that the states should protect themselves as much as 
possible against bovine tuberculosis by insisting that no new 
cattle shall be brought in until they have been shown by the 
tuberculin test to be free from tuberculosis. The time we may 
hope is not far off when even breeders of exceptionally fine strains 
of blood will begin to realize that the very best blood coupled 
with tuberculous infection is an article to be shunned, not because 
we wish to imply that tuberculosis is hereditary, but because we 
know how readily it is conveyed from animal to animal by contact. 
(4) To obtain milk from animals shown in the most con- 
clusive manner to be free from tuberculosis, irrespective of 
whether the milk is intended for special certification or for more 
general or regular city use. 
(5) To satisfy an owner of cattle that his herd is free from 
tuberculosis or to give him the information he needs to clean his 
herd from disease. 
In whatever way the tuberculin test is applied, or for whatever 
purpose, all positive reactions obtained should be regarded as 
