92 THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 



Even though tuberculosis was not trans- 

 missible to human beings it would be desirable 

 to eradicate it from among our cows from an 

 economic standpoint, as it often destroys cat- 

 tle outright by killing its victim, reduces the 

 market value of the animal, lessens the produc- 

 tion, injures the reputation of the animals for 

 breeding purposes and carries infection to oth- 

 er farm animals. 



The Cause of Tuberculosis. 



Tuberculosis is caused by a small germ 

 called by the same name tuberculosis, but it is 

 spoken of as bacteria tuberculosis in literature 

 to indicate that it is a small rod shaped germ. 

 This germ was discovered in 1882 by Dr. 

 Robert Koch, but at that time it was thought 

 of as a disease affecting people only and that 

 there was only one form of germ that was 

 responsible for tuberculosis wherever found, 

 but it has been determined that while tuber- 

 culosis may be transmitted from animal to man 

 the tuberculosis germ that affects cows and 

 that which affects human beings are two sepa- 

 rate and distinct germs, but are very similar 

 in characteristics. 



The germ that causes tuberculosis is very 

 small and can only be seen by a high powered 

 microscope and it would take several thou- 

 sand of them placed end to end to make a 

 column one inch long. 



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