188 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



elapsed after the first injection before you repeat the dose. Some 

 animals eliminate faster than others. In our herds we never 

 fail to get a correct result when it is applied to reacting animals 

 after three months' time. It is of more value in the initial use. 



Member: How much of a rise in temperature would you 

 regard as a tuberculin reaction? 



Dr. Russell : It should be at least two degrees. You are 

 getting into a class of questions that are becoming difficult. It 

 is necessary to know the history of the herd, and, in fact, all 

 the possible data that you can acquire; it assists you greatly. 

 Nine-tenths of the tests are not averages, the averages are the 

 interpretation of the man who makes the test. It is very neces- 

 sary that you should have full and complete data. So many 

 take one or two temperatures before injection. If an animal 

 ranges from ioo to 103 degrees you might get an average, yet 

 it might have tuberculosis. It is the fault of the way in which 

 you apply the test. Generally speaking, however, the difference 

 should be at least two degrees. Another thing the temperature 

 practically always goes to 104 degrees. In the case of most 

 animals it will go considerably above that. 



Member : Suppose your first temperature after the first in- 

 jection was high, say 105 degrees, would you condemn that 

 animal ? 



Dr. Russell : I should be much inclined to think that that 

 was not a tuberculous reaction, especially if that was the only 

 animal. I would be less positive if there were other animals. 

 Generally we get two or three temperatures. 



Member : What danger do we run in putting this tubercu- 

 lin in healthy cows? 



Dr. Russell : As I said at the outset I do not know of one 

 case where it has produced any trouble in the animals. I know 

 of one case, but it was not the fault of the tuberculin, it was 



