274 THE COMMON SENSE OF THE MILK QUESTION 



tuberculin test is very generally used. It is a noto- 

 rious fact, however, that the inspection is pitifully 

 and hopelessly inadequate. There are not enough 

 inspectors, and as a result too small a percentage of 

 the total number of cattle comes under observation 

 at any time. Nothing short of a periodical examina- 

 tion of every herd will suffice, and we are lamentably 

 far from that requirement as yet. 



There would seem, also, to be a great deal of in- 

 competency in the use of the tuberculin test. On 

 the one hand, we have such obviously inconclusive 

 results as those noted in the South by Professor 

 Doane,^ pointing, it would seem, either to incom- 

 petence or dishonesty — probably both. On the 

 other hand, there are frequent complaints from 

 farmers of serious bungling. Some of the stories 

 told, and too well attested to be lightly passed over, 

 are almost incredible on account of the stupidity of 

 the inspectors. They err sometimes one way and 

 sometimes another, but the percentage of error is 

 too high. The result is tq discredit the tuberculin 

 test in the mind of the farmer and the public. Yet, 

 when it is properly applied, the tuberculin test is 

 marvellously reliable. A number of years ago, 

 some very searching investigations into this matter 

 were made in Belgium. It was found that post 

 mortem examination confirmed the diagnosis made 

 upon the tuberculin test in more than 99 per cent 



