PECULIAR VIEWS FROM A HIGH OFFICIAL. 
581 
Major Alvord announced himself to be acting in an individual capacity and not as the 
representative of his department in the expression of views concerning the war recently 
A\aged upon tuberculous cattle by the Board of Health. He said that he did not considei 
that the presence of tuberculosis as revealed by the tuberculin test was a justification of the 
immediate slaughter of the animals. He believed that the proper plan woMd be "e cc^ 
p ete separation and isolation from the healthy animals of those showing traces of disease 
A distinction must be made between diseased cows and sick cowl” said he “ ] 
recommend the immediate slaughter of the sick cows, but just as a perso i diseased by con 
sumption may round out a useful career, so may a diseased coni A SquaSnS 
should be established of the diseased members of a herd; their milk should imt be sold 
nor any of its products marketed, but for breeding purposes these animals are perfectly 
fo°?he progeny™ ^ aCC6pted faCt amon - veterinarians that the disease is not transmitted 
• T ? 1S not Poetical to build separate barns for these animals, but by placing partitions 
! n 6 barns th e diseased and healthy animals may be kept separate. ' When lie disease 
becomes so bad that the animal is manifestly sick it should be killed.” 
, his theory Major Alvord submitted extracts from a treatise by Professor 
l Copenhagen in which the reaction of tuberculin was dealt with and Unreliability 
^Fro m l y C ° nSldered - . From the Valise the following extracts were read 7 
From the uncertainty in the action of the tuberculin, established in various wavs we 
must necessanly conclude that the tuberculin test is not to be regarded as a certain legal 
proof of the existence of tuberculosis. When coupled with a physical diagnosis it may be 
considered sufficient to prove tuberculosis, but the tuberculin reaction alone rives in my 
opinion, no sufficient proof of the presence of tuberculosis. g ’ ^ 
existed^ tuberCulm test can P roduce a worse condition in tuberculous animals than before 
“It appears to me a very great risk to subject herds of breeding cattle milch cows and 
animaU r- 15 t6St ^ this Procedure the tube^uloA whkhTn many 
animals is in a dormant state is aroused and made immediately dangerous. 
, stl '°ng er react ! on if most often noticed in slightest cases, while cattle which have 
n affected a long time frequently react only slightly or not at all. The large majority 
of reacfng annuals are only slightly tuberculous. They can remain for many folly 
capable of accomplishing their work, and with many of them the tuberculosis remains 
wholly localized for the entire life, or even a cure may take place. For milk-ySding 
, " I prefer for the present to recommend a less radical method. First to inoculate 
the herd with tuberculin. Second, to separate the reacting animals, as far as poslle 
the™ i le no ”‘ r ^ actln g- Third, to kl11 die evidently sick animals ac once. Fourth to rear 
adacked "VtT W T*’ bl “ otherwi ? e a PP ear healthy, or at least only slightly 
P ace them hfthKl 1,?“^ S ‘T e lmme<batel >' afte '' b hth from the infected stable, 
place them in the healthy division and protect them from further infection, especially from 
” 1 in he t’h'Y disinfect the stable - dentil, to inoculate with tube," 
culm the ammals of the healthy division once or twice yearly.” 
„,., Maj ° r ,u AIV ?t d ?’ d that - he considered the sanitary inspection of dairies of far more im- 
P°“h_ F ,‘ a " Zdetraction of tuberculous herds. “ I have examined some city dairies 
E ; ‘’. sald he ' ‘ "here the cows stood in stables and were milked through all 
stages of disease up to the very day they died. Dark, damp places where disease was 
sore to overtake them. In the city of St. Louis, where a large! proportion of the city’s 
I m P y , C ? meS fr0n ?, C " y Stables than from the farm > 1 found a condition of affairs sucl/as 
I would not dare to tell you of. The health authorities there are co-operating with me 
ner d m? n f 1 T are be j 0ming much better. I do not consider the presence of tuberculosis 
fZ ls f a SUCh t ’f e , and r qUan n". ty f ‘° be P ' ainly discernible 'o *c naked eye in slaughtered 
■animals a justification for their destruction.” 
Trichinosis in American Hogs in Germany. _A dis- 
pateh from Berlin of recent date says: “ The first official report 
ot , 1 ? osls 111 Ameri cau hog- products in Germany will be 
published next February.” 
