

FIFTIETH ANNUAL CONVENTION 113 



losis in cattle and swine is in the United States, as the es- 

 tablishments in which the diseased animals were slaugh- 

 tered are in all parts of the country. More than that, only 

 about 65 per cent of the cattle and swine, it is estimated, 

 are slaughtered each year in establishments under Federal 

 supervision, so that about 35 per cent of these classes of 

 animals slaughtered each year in the United States do not 

 appear in these records. It is known also that the percent- 

 age of tuberculosis is greater in the uninspected animals. 

 In view of these points the losses shown in the following 

 table are believed to be scarcely one-half of the total loss 

 throughout the country. 



When animals are "retained" by the Federal inspectors 

 on account of tuberculosis it means that some evidence of 

 the disease is discovered and the carcass is placed aside for 

 further examination. If the disease is found to be so 

 slight as to render the undiseased portion of the carcass fit 

 for food, the diseased area is removed and the remainder is 

 passed. It will noted that such is the case in most carcasses 

 retained, but some loss occurs for the reason that the dis- 

 eased portions found unfit for food would have a consider- 

 able value if healthy. 



If the animals that are retained and when the disease 

 is not extensive enough to cause condemnation of the entire 

 carcass, the disease is in most cases in the early stages. Had 

 the animals been allowed to live for possibly only a short 

 time longer, the disease would have progressed until all 

 the carcass would have to be considered diseased. In 

 others the lesion of disease has become surrounded by tis- 

 sue that "locks it up" and prevents it from spreading to 

 other parts of the body. Such a condition, however, is 

 liable to change at any time during the animal's life and 

 allow the disease to enter other parts of the body, and alsc 

 to be carried out of the body and endanger healthy cattle 

 and swine. 



How to Proceed to Make Certain that Cattle and Swine 

 Are Free from Tuberculosis. 



Have a competent veterinarian apply the tuberculin 

 test. Remove all reactors promptly, and disinfect the 



