TUBERCULOSIS. 
329 
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is still room for improvement. Of 364 inspectors, 58 are veter¬ 
inary surgeons, 136 farmers, 10 cattle dealers, 20 M.D.s, 8 
butchers, and the remaining 62, grocers, painters, provision 
dealers, wood and coal dealers. 
The use of Tuberculin in the hands of competent men has 
given us an almost infallible test. Koch’s tuberculin is a gly¬ 
cerine extract of pure culture of tuberculous bacilli. The lymph 
is a limpid, brownish liquid, which is inactive when introduced 
into the digestive system, but whose reaction is considerable 
when injected subcutaneously or intravenously. Its degree of 
reaction varies with the condition of the animal, there being- none 
in perfectly healthy ones and very marked in tuberculous ones. 
It possesses a very marked influence upon tubercular alterations. 
Under its influence the peri-tubercular tissue becomes inflamed 
and the seat of an exudation or abundant leucocytic infiltration. 
In general successive injections produce reactions which are in 
turn less violent. The results of the exhaustive experiments by 
the many scientists who have been laboring with this subject 
have not been satisfactory from a curative standpoint. As a 
diagnostic agent it is indispensable to the advanced veterinarian. 
With it one can make a positive test on a dairy herd, and one 
which will on post-mortem prove correct. By this means the 
Board of Health of various cities can control the sale of milk to 
the dairy having sound cattle. The veterinarian comes in for 
his share of the responsibility for public health, and should not 
falter in his duty. 
In our State we must have some legislation on the subject 
of tuberculosis before such can be accomplished. We must have 
a veterinarian as a member of the State Board of Health and 
more thorough inspection of the stock of the State. Undoubt¬ 
edly you can recall some afflicted herd in your locality ; nor 
are means taken for the eradication of the disease. What 
is the result? A dissemination of the disease, productive of 
tuberculously-disposed stock and endangerment of the present 
and future generations of both man and beast. 
This is one of the most important questions of the present 
