FIFTIETH ANNUAL CONVENTION 109 



PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF TUBERCULOSIS. 



Probably no disease affecting either the human race 

 or live stock is better known or has been the object of so 

 much study as tuberculosis. Present knowledge of the dis- 

 ease is derived from many sources, including the work of 

 eminent scientists who discovered its cause, and studies of 

 the numerous ways in which it is spread, of the manner by 

 which man and animals contract it, and the effects it pro- 

 duces. 



The tuberculin test — the means of detecting tubercu- 

 losis — was devised in 1882 by the eminent scientist, Dr. 

 Robert Koch. Thus the test has been known for more than 

 a third of a century. The facts regarding it and other in- 

 formation presented in this bulletin are based upon long 

 experience and results verified many times. The methods 

 recommended to be used in the eradication of tuberculosis 

 have been tried upon large numbers of herds and found to 

 be effectual and practicable. 



Early Eradication is Most Economical. 



Live-stock owners are earnestly requested not to wait 

 until the States and Federal Government come into their lo- 

 calities to eradicate tuberculosis. It would not be possible 

 indeed, at this stage to undertake to eradicate tuberculosis 

 from the live stock of the United States solely through or- 

 ganized official forces established by the respective States 

 and the Federal Government. The area over which tuber- 

 culosis has spread is too vast, the herds too numerous, and 

 funds are insufficient for conducting the work on so exten- 

 sive a plan even though trained veterinarians were available 

 in sufficient numbers to do the work. Every live-stock own- 

 er should be a party to this campaign which has been in- 

 augurated to eradicate tuberculosis. In almost every local- 

 ity of the United States are veterinarians capable of render- 

 ing valuable services to live-stock owners in this great work, 

 and the cost of eradicating is greatly reduced by combating 



