350 MANUAL OF FABM ANIMALS 



the chance of the herd's being infected is very slight. Since the 

 trouble and expense of m^ing the test are so slight, it is well 

 worth while to make it in order to have the assurance that the 

 herd is entirely free and there is absolutely no danger in the con- 

 sumption of their products, either milk or meat. 



Eradication of tuberculosis. — The eradication of tuberculosis, 

 once it gets a foothold, is not so easy or at least not so inexpen- 

 sive. There is of course no cure for the disease, so other methods 

 of eradication must be sought. It has been suggested that ail 

 diseased animals be slaughtered, but this would mean untold 

 waste and were it enforced, might lead to a national calamity, 

 for it is doubtful if the nation could spare all of its tubercular 

 cattle at one time. There is one plan, however, which, if it could 

 be employed, would seem to bridge the difficulty and in a few 

 generations would result in bovine tuberculosis being practically 

 swept from the land. This plan, however, requires extra 

 labor, as well as the expense of extra equipment, and its em- 

 ployment is purely economical; but since, from the nature of 

 the disease and the importance of the animals concerned, it 

 seems to be the only avenue of hope, the plan is here given. 



The Bang method of eradicating bovine tuberculosis. — This 

 method, recommended by Dr. Bang of the Copenhagen Veteri- 

 nary College, is being successfully employed in Denmark. The 

 object of the method is to replenish a tuberculous herd with as 

 little loss as possible. The original method has been modified 

 from time to time and at present stands thus : Immediately 

 after testing the herd divide it into two parts, placing the sound 

 animals in one and the diseased animals in the other, thus mak- 

 ing two herds, one diseased, the other sound. At once remove 

 the sound herd to new and uninfected quarters, and keep it 

 away from the infection. The difficulty of this is that it means 

 two sets of equipment, barn, lots, pastures, and the like; for if the 

 plan is to succeed, the sound herd must be kept entirely away 

 from the infected barn, lots, and pastures. They must even have 



