Tuberculosis. 463 



especially predisposed to tubercle. In many such cases the sus- 

 ;pected animal was already the victim of the affection, which had 

 brought out these characteristic features of weakness and emacia- 

 tion. In other cases the unthrifty appearance was due to poor 

 feeding and care or to chronic disease, which in robbing the sys- 

 tem of vigor and hardihood laid it open to the attack of the 

 tubercle bacillus whenever it was introduced. Even when there 

 was no such depressing influence affecting the individual, the 

 inheritance of such a frame, betokened a constitution lacking in 

 vigor, and with little power of resistance to the invading microbe. 

 Some milking breeds which tend to the above conformation, show 

 an unusual development of the lymph glands and plexuses, and 

 as tuberculosis attacks the lymphatic system preeminently, the 

 Tjacillus finds an especially favorable field for development in 

 such systems. It would, however, be an error to assume that the 

 compact, rounded frame, with circular chest and abdomen, and 

 full, firm neck and shoulders, with a great disposition to fat and 

 little to milk, is in any degree immune. Under the presence of 

 the tubercle bacillus, and close stabling, they often succumb quite 

 as rapidly as the most susceptible milking breeds. The meat pro- 

 ducing breeds with a strong propensity to fatten, have an ex- 

 traordinary development of lymph spaces and plexuses in the inter- 

 muscular and subcutaneous connective tissue, and the microbe 

 finds a welcome home in their sluggish, inactive and atonic sys- 

 tems as well as in the typical dairy cows. 



BREEDING TOO YOUNG. 



Breeding from immature animals undermines the vitality as 

 the system is overtaxed to sustain at once the demands for further 

 growth, for the nourishment of the unborn offspring, and for the 

 yield of milk. Some families of Jerseys have been undoubtedly 

 injured in this way, through the desire to diminish the size of 

 the cow, and yet retain the highest milk and butter yield. 



CI^OSE-BREEDING. 



Inbred families are proverbially subject to tuberculosis. By 

 pairing individuals that show in a marked degree the desired 

 qualities of early maturity, heavy milking, or fattening, the 



