502 



Tuberculosis. 



abattoirs and on the other hand from results furnished by the 

 tuberculin test. The value of slaughter house statistics where 

 only the more or less conspicuous lesions are noted, depends to a 

 great extent upon the experience and care of inspectors in 

 charge. The tuberculin test furnishes evidence of the existence 

 of the disease in its most incipient stage, hence the percentage 

 of cases disclosed by the latter is much larger than that in- 

 dicated by the former. 



In Germany investigations of the Imperial Board of Hoalth for the year 

 1888-1889 show that from 2 to 8% of all cattle were tuberculous. Since then, 

 however, meat inspection statistics and the results of extensive tuberculin tests 

 have shown the disease to be far more prevalent. Thus according to Siedamgrotzky 's 

 compilations in 1,110,252 animals slaughtered in the abattoirs of Saxony, Prussia and 

 Bavaria in the period from 1895 to 1897, 13.1% were found tuberculous. During 

 the same period the abattoirs in the Empire of Germany furnished 353,162 tuberculous 

 animals. Of these 9,705 were condemned and 18,322 were sold under declaration. 

 The resulting annual loss is estimated at six and one-half million marks, or a little 

 over one and a half million dollars. During the same period, of 1,107,552 slaughtered 

 swine, 1.22% were found tuberculous. This resulted in the condemnation of the 

 carcasses of 2,600 head of swine while 39,000 head were sold under declaration. 

 The actual loss from tuberculosis in swine (carcasses) was one and three-quarter 

 million marks or over four hundred thousand dollars. 



The following table which is taken from the official report on sanitary police 

 control of abattoirs of the German Empire shows the percentage of animals con- 

 demned on account of tuberculosis: 



Abattoir reports of the various states of the German Empire show that 

 tuberculosis is on the increase among cattle as well as among other species of 

 animals. A few localities only show a decrease ,in the prevalence of tuberculosis 

 among swine and calves (Ostertag). Thus the kingdoms of Bavaria, Prussia and 

 Saxony furnish the following tables of information: 



The percentage of infection revealed by tuberculin tests in general has been 

 very high. Thus in the kingdom of Saxony for the years 1891 to 1897 it varied 

 between 57 and 84%. Up to the middle of the year 1904, 68% of 3,083 cattle 

 that were tested reacted. Thus the assumption of Klimmer that 2/3 of all cattle 



