STATE HYGIENE 577 



penalizing himself, deal with more than one disease at a 

 time. The legislator may ask for evidence of a sincere desire 

 on the part of owners to rid themselves of this plague by- 

 adopting preventive measures; while experts must not be of 

 two opinions as to the absolutely necessary steps to adopt. 



It is conceivable that some such thoughts are influencing 

 those whose duty it is to legislate, for compensation is a 

 heavy drain on the public finances, and without compensa- 

 tion the disease cannot be exterminated or only by very slow 

 degrees. 



What then are the slow degrees by which in course of 

 years this disease may be brought under control ? 



The first is the rigid isolation of all affected cases ; the 

 second is to afford animals better hygienic surroundings, 

 so as to decrease their susceptibility. 



The isolation method among dairy stock is now on trial 

 in Denmark, and is encouraged by certain aid from the 

 State. The isolation to be effective must be complete, the 

 affected animals are kept by themselves and have separate 

 attendants ; their standings are submitted to thorough 

 disinfection, so as to destroy all germs be they from the air- 

 passages, kidneys, or bowels. The calves are isolated from 

 the diseased animals and only receive milk which has been 

 heated at 85° C, or boiled, and in this way a healthy stock 

 is reared. The milk of all reacting animals is not given to 

 the calves but used in the dairy. 



The diseased animals in this method of eradication are 

 first determined by the use of tuberculin. Strange as it 

 may appear, no attempt is made to prevent men suffering 

 from tuberculosis from being in attendance on the cattle, as 

 Professor Bang, who has initiated this system of eradication, 

 considered the risk inappreciable. 



Such a system, as indicated above, is in the hands of 



every cattle owner ; it has yielded the most promising 



results in Denmark, and is based on common sense and a 



knowledge of the infectious nature of the disease. It does 



not interfere with the milk-supply, though of course if 



assumes that the milk of animals suffering from tubercu- 



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