406 
W. H. HARBAUGH. 
denined by the tuberculin test, the post-mortem examination 
proves that they are affected with the disease ; the fact that vet¬ 
erinarians who condemn cattle as tuberculin indicates are always 
willing, and even anxious to demonstrate the truth of their 
diagnosis is sufficient to combat all the nonsensical assertions of 
those who oppose tuberculin. On the other hand, those who 
oppose tuberculin would not dare to condemn and attempt post¬ 
mortem confirmation on account of a reaction following the in- 
jeotion of anything. 
Bovine tuberculosis is a question that must be handled as a 
question of State medicine by the authorities, sooner or later. 
There can be no doubt of the contagious and infectious nature of 
the disease, and hence the State and local boaids of health 
should have their powers enlarged to be able to handle the ques¬ 
tion. In the meantime there is no excuse why consumers of 
milk should continue to daily run the risk they do now, when it 
is only necessary for the city council to pass an ordinance cre¬ 
ating the office of official dairy inspector, whose duty it should 
be to test all cows in dairies supplying milk to consumers, and 
see that no milk is sold which does not come from cows proven 
to be free from tuberculosis. 
Tuberculosis amongst our dairy cattle is not a new disease. 
For the past eleven years the writer has frequently called 
public attention to it, and has repeatedly referred to its great 
prevalence among the dairy cattle of this vicinity. Fully fifty 
per cent, of the milch cows in this vicinity are affected; and 
this estimate is based on facts ascertained in the actual examina¬ 
tion of many cows. That the disease is increasing there can 
be no doubt, and something should be done by the authorities 
before matters get worse. There can be no doubt that to 
exclude all the tuberculous cows from our dairies would be 
a hardship on the dairymen, but it is a hardship that must 
be faced, because it is a crime, and a fearful one, to allow the 
infectious matter of this terrible scourge to be daily scattered 
to our citizens, and fed to innocent children and delicate adults. 
It is the duty of the authorities to protect the health of the 
