TUBERCULOSIS IN LIVE STOCK. 
DETECTION, CONTROL, AND ERADICATION. 
John A. Kiernan, Chief of Tuberculosis Eradication Division , and Alexander E. 
Wight, Assistant Chief. 
CONTENTS. 
Pago. 
Present knowledge of tuberculosis. 3 
Early eradication is most economical. 3 
Tuberculosis a deceptive disease. 5 
Prevalence o f tuberculosis. 5 
Losses of meat food products. 8 
Cause of tuberculosis. 9 
Symptoms of tuberculosis. 12 
Methods of diagnosis. 14 
The tuberculin test. 15 
Post-mortem appearances. 18 
Page. 
Methods of eradication. 18 
Accredited-herd or honor-roll plan. 19 
Eradication from areas. 22 
Eradication from swine. 25 
Measures of prevention. 25 
Disposal of reactors. 28 
Retesting. 29 
Marking animals for identification. 29 
Appraisement and indemnity. 30 
PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF TUBERCULOSIS. 
P ROBABLY 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 disease 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 produces. 
The tuberculin test—the means of detecting tuberculosis—was de¬ 
vised in 18S2 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 information 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 ef¬ 
fectual 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 localities to eradi¬ 
cate 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 organized official forces established by the re¬ 
spective States and the Federal Government. The area over which 
tuberculosis has spread is too vast, the herds too numerous, and 
3 
