ioi6 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [march, 



tuberculin test eight days afterwards, and finally to test the results 

 by making post-mortem examinations. The cattle tested were twelve 

 three-year-old bullocks and two aged cows. The bullocks were in- 

 tended for slaughter in any case, so that there was no difficulty as 

 regards the post-mortem examinations. The cows were both in some- 

 what low condition, and there was some doubt whether either was -free 

 from disease. The method of applying the test is to drop a small 

 quantity — usually one or two drops — of the preparation of tuberculin 

 into one eye. If tuberculosis is present the injection is followed, within 

 twelve hours, by inflammation and the formation of pus. Of the animals 

 tested two of the bullocks and both cows reacted, in the case of one bul- 

 lock the reaction being only mild. After eight days all the animals were 

 subjected to the ordinary tuberculin test, except one cow, which was 

 near calving, but was tested three months subsequently. The result 

 was that one of the cows only, and none of the bullocks, reacted. The 

 nnal test was a post-mortem examination. It was not, however, con- 

 sidered necessary to conduct such an examination except in the case 

 of the animals that reacted. The two bullocks that had reacted to the 

 eye test were sent to the butcher within a week after the completion 

 •of the second test, and they were found to be perfectly free from disease. 

 In their case, therefore, the eye test proved misleading. After this 

 result it was decided to keep the two cows on till the summer. During 

 the summer the one that had reacted to both the eye test and the usual 

 tuberculin test became still more emaciated and developed a cough. She 

 was consequently killed, and was found to be very badly affected with 

 tuberculosis. The other cow, however, had greatly improved, and in 

 view of the result with the two bullocks, she was kept on for the time 

 being in the herd. 



The position was, therefore, that of three animals reacting to the 

 eye test, one reacted to the ordinary tuberculin test, and was found on 

 -examination to be badly diseased, while the other two did not react, 

 and were free from disease. 



Professor Bryner Jones concludes from this evidence that the test is 

 not to be relied on for the purpose of indicating the presence of tuber- 

 culosis in cattle with accuracy, although a definite opinion cannot be 

 ■expressed from the result of this one experiment. He points out, also, 

 that the test is far more difficult to carry out in cattle than in man, 

 and it is not to be inferred from this experiment that the test would 

 not be equally reliable in the case of cattle were it possible to ensure 

 that the cattle would submit kindly to the operation. It is often 

 impossible to induce an animal to stand still, especially when its head 

 is held in a somewhat unnatural position. Moreover, the eye has to be 

 forcibly opened, and the eyelids cannot be kept apart in a restless 

 animal without considerable pressure. There is thus a possibility of 

 irritation and injury to the eye even when the greatest care is exercised. 

 This risk, which can never be wholly absent in the case of cattle, must 

 necessarily detract from the value of the test in practice, not because 

 the injury which may be thus caused is likely to be in itself serious, 

 but because the effect of such an injury on the eye might easily be 

 mistaken at any time for a genuine reaction. 



The Cellular Elements present in Milk (Jour. Brit. Dairy 

 Farmers' Association, Vol. 24, 1910, and Vol. 25, 191 1). — It has 



