324 MILK AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH chap. 



Bang's method has certain marked advantages. It is 

 efficient and by its means a tuberculosis-free herd can be 

 reared. The initial expenses are not great, and the current 

 expenses caused by the separation of the herds are so spread 

 as not to be a financial burden. It does not cause any 

 disturbance of the milk trade or of agricultural interests. In 

 other words it is conservative, efficient, and cheap when 

 properly and completely carried out. The essential difficulty 

 and disadvantage of the method is that to properly and 

 completely carry it out requires extra labour and great 

 vigilance, such as many farmers are either unable or unwilling 

 to practise. Any relaxation of precautions may undo the 

 work of years and re-introduce the disease amongst the healthy 

 stock. Such re-infections are very disheartening, and their 

 occurrence being attributed to the method and not to the 

 true cause — the lack of persistent care on the part of the 

 farmer — tends to bring the method into disrepute in the 

 neighbourhood in which the farm is situated. Pearson 

 remarks ^ concerning the use of this method in Penn- 

 sylvania, U.S.A. : 



It is important to note that the Bang system has never been 

 widely used outside of Denmark, and its use is diminishing rather 

 than growing in that country. That is not because it is not 

 effective — it is effective — but because it involves extra labour, 

 watchfulness, care, and expense for such a long time that only a 

 few held owners have the courage and perseverance to carry it out. 

 It is unfortunate that this is so, for this system furnishes a method 

 to gradually eradicate tuberculosis at a minimum of loss. It is 

 conservative to the last degree. Those who have carried it out 

 correctly have had good results. But we have to take the facts as 

 they are, and to recognise that the Bang system in its entirety is 

 not likely to be used extensively in this country. 



Bang finds that excellent results have been obtained on 

 the small farms in Denmark although it would seem especially 

 difficult for them. Bang (loc. cit.) describes a Danish associa- 

 tion which is worthy of imitation in this country. Its 

 members are small farmers and the object of the association is 

 for " promoting the breeding and maintenance of healthy, 

 non-tuberculous stocks of cattle and pigs." Only such farmers 



' (Quoted by Dr. Eastwood, Report on American Methods of Milk Control, 

 p. 9. 



