166 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Federal meat inspection is maintained. The number of cat- 

 tle and swine slaughtered at official establishments during 

 the fiscal years 1917, 1918 and 1919 and the number of 

 carcasses condemned on account of tuberculosis were as 

 follows: 



Federally inspected cattle and swine carcasses condemned on account 



tuberculosis. 







Cattle 



Pr. ct. 





Swine 



Pr. ct. 



Fiscal 





Con- 



con- 





Con- con- 



year 



Slaughtered 



demned 



demned 



Slaughtered 



demned demned 



1917 



.. 9,299,489 



46,351 



0.50 



40,210.847 



76,807 0.19 



1918 



-10,938,287 



40,792 



.37 



35,449,247 



59,740 .17 



1919 



-11,241,991 



37,600 



.33 



44,398,389 



65,838 .15 



The figures show a noteworthy improvement in the 

 situation, yet the losses from condemnation are still large 

 — much larger than they would be if every owner of cattle 

 and swine were vigilant in combating the disease. It is 

 known also that the per cent of tuberculosis among animals 

 slaughtered at uninspected abattoirs is greater than that at 

 federally inspected establishments. In addition there are 

 other important though less conspicuous losses. The feed, 

 for instance, given to diseased animals is practically wast- 

 ed, because when they are slaughtered a considerable per- 

 centage of them must be disposed of for purposes other 

 than food. 



Besides the condemnation of cattle for tuberculosis at 

 abattoirs, there is each year a considerable number of 

 deaths among mature cattle directly attributable to tuber- 

 culosis. Likewise there is a considerable mortality from 

 this disease among calves. 



Had the spread of tuberculosis been allowed to con- 

 tinue at the same rate that it progressed from 1907 to 

 1917, by 1937 the disease would undoubtedly have exacted 

 an annual toll from the live-stock producers of this Nation 

 of one hundred million dollars, and this would have been 

 only a part of the loss. Our splendid purebred and grade 

 herds of cattle and swine would have been undermined by 

 tuberculosis, and in consequence the reputation of the Uni- 

 ted States as a producer of high-class cattle and swine 

 would have received an irremovable stigma. 





