THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 193 



DR. JOHN SCOTT. 



Peoria, 111., April 25, 191 1. 

 Illinois State Dairymen's Association : 



I herewith submit to you my report relative to the tubercu- 

 losis post mortem demonstration on cattle held at the Kerber 

 Packing Company plant near the city of Elgin, 111., in January, 

 191 1, during the annual meeting of your Association, the post 

 mortem being conducted by Prof. Russell of Madison, Wis., Dr. 

 Welch of Elgin, 111., and myself. 



Five cattle were presented for slaughter that had been sub- 

 jected to the tuberculin test by Dr. Welch, three of which had 

 reacted to the test and two had not. Of the three that reacted, 

 two proved, on post mortem, to have tubercular abscesses of the 

 liver, in one of them a considerable portion of the liver being 

 involved. In the other animal the disease was in the incipient 

 stage but nevertheless a typical case, the mesentery or web of 

 the bowels containing numerous miliary tubercles. 



The two animals that had not reacted to the test were then 

 slaughtered, with the object of proving to those present the re- 

 liability of the tuberculin test, and to show that where there had 

 been no reaction from the test, there would be no disease, and 

 this was fully demonstrated as both animals were found to be in 

 a perfectly healthy condition. 



The result of this demonstration and the findings on post 

 mortem should, it seems to me, prove to any reasonable and fair 

 minded person the value and reliability of the tuberculin test 

 in detecting the presence of the disease in any animal, but more 

 especially in those where the disease is in the incipient or early 

 stage, and where post mortem findings have repeatedly demon- 

 strated that it would be absolutely impossible to diagnose the 

 disease as being present from a physical examination. 



JOHN SCOTT, 

 Assistant State Veterinarian, State of Illinois. 



