Vol. LVII. No. 2506. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 5, 1898. 
if 1 PER YEAR. 
TUBERCULIN; WHAT IT IS. HOW USED. 
ACCOUNT OF A VETERINARIAN’S TEST. 
What To Do for Consumptive Cows. 
Tuberculin, as it comes from the bacteriological 
laboratory, is an ill-smelling, straw-colored liquid, re¬ 
sembling olive oil. It is a sterilized fluid which has 
been secreted by the Bacillus tuberculosis, but which 
has been freed completely from the bacilli. It cannot, 
in consequence, communicate the disease which pro¬ 
duced it, and if injected into the tissues of an animal, 
is soon thrown out by the eliminating organs. Koch, 
who had discovered the germ of tuberculosis, also 
found tuberculin, and discovered that, when injected 
into an animal suffering from tuberculosis, this sub¬ 
stance produced a fever known now as a reaction. 
Upon this fact, the tuberculin test depends. 
Temporarily, the disease process is hastened, and 
the disturbance upon nerve centers and places of 
active disease causes this hectic fever or reaction. Re¬ 
cent investigators, Dr. Russell, of Maine, among them, 
report that reaction does not always take place in 
eases of hidden disease, or in .cases of recent infection. 
It is because of this that a single test of a herd is not 
enough to enable us to guarantee every animal free ; 
it does shov that none is dangerously affected. Dr. 
Nelson, of New Jersey, also observes that cows do not 
always react to tuberculin, even though diseased : and 
Dr. Reynolds, of Minnesota, gives several instances that 
have come under his observation, where the reinjec¬ 
tion caused no reaction. This seems especially to be 
true if reinjection takes place after but a short in¬ 
terval. Other cows. Dr. Law has found ready to react 
at any time. It has, also, been found that animals far 
gone with consumption, do not respond to the small 
dose of tuberculin injected. They are already making 
so much in their systems, that they do not heed the 
addition. Such eases would not escape upon inspec¬ 
tion. The cases between those recently infected or, 
perhaps, recovered, and the palpably diseased, can be 
detected by tuberculin. 
A few weeks since, Dr. Law went to examine the 
dairy herd of the New York State Hospital, at Willard. 
He kindly allowed me to go to see how 
the work was done. I wished to see a 
reacting cow, and fully expected that 
some diseased cows would be found in 
the large herd. We arrived in the even¬ 
ing, and donning uniforms, began taking 
the temperatures of the 08 animals in 
the east barn. The readings ran from 
99.8 to 104.3 degrees, most of the ani¬ 
mals showing 101.8 degrees. Dr. Law 
observed that 102 degrees for large, well- 
fed animals indoors is a normal temper¬ 
ature. As we read, one of the young 
men noted the figures, also made record 
of the tag numbers, and the weight. The 
injection of tuberculin followed imme¬ 
diately, Dr. Law, taking the hypodermic 
syringe; he drew into it 25 drops for 
each 1,000 pounds live weight, and step¬ 
ping alongside the cow, paused till 
she ceased struggling with the men who 
were holding her head ; then, catching a 
flap of skin on the neck, the needle was 
pushed through and the piston pressed. 
The night is chosen for this work, that 
the reaction which follows in from 8 to 16 
hours may come in daytime when it can 
be more conveniently observed. The 
following morning, the temperatures were taken three 
times ; none was suspiciously high, the highest dur¬ 
ing the evening having fallen. On the second round, 
a temperature of 97.8 degrees was noted. On inquiry, 
it was found that the cow had taken four pails of 
water. Slight matters like draughts will i depress 
temperature, or warm corners and direct sunshine 
may raise it. Dr. Law observed, “I found the 
temperature of a cow in the Catskills last summer 
running high all day, but it became normal after the 
afternoon milking. She had been missed in the 
morning.” 
This is a fine herd—Ilolsteins, or grades, quite even. 
FRONT VIEW OF CONSUMPTIVE COW. Fig. 29. 
The foreman, Mr. McKenny, gave me the daily pro¬ 
gramme for the herds: 4.30 to 6 A. M., milking; 7, 
feeding, cut corn stalks; 8.30, turn out to water; 9, 
roots and bran ; 10, hay, about eight pounds of clover 
and Timothy; 1 p. m., water again; 1.30, roots and 
bran (during the day three cows get one bushel of 
sliced roots); 2.30 to 4, milking; 4.30, stalks and hay. 
The herd was kept in all day that their places be 
maintained. When they come in from watering, they 
take the stanchions that come handiest. A part of 
this herd is in a wing, standing on boards, the rest 
stand on bricks (half), and on boards (half), heads to the 
flagstone-paved alley. The cattle seemed in good con¬ 
dition, and would often kneel to reach farther for feed. 
In the afternoon, the temperatures were taken twice. 
None of this herd had reacted, which was a pleasant 
surprise. This barn is 92 x 38 feet, nine feet to the 
floor above. The rule would call for more space for 
the number of cattle sheltered there. In an adjoining 
barn, a larger herd is kept. These are of various 
breeds, but black and white are the prevailing colors. 
A few cows here looked out of condition. The barn is 
147 x 30H feet. “ Too narrow ”, Capt. Gilbert observed. 
Hearing that the State Hospital had once suffered 
an incursion of tuberculosis in its herds, I asked of 
Capt. Gilbert, the steward, what they had done to get 
rid of it. He told me that, many years ago, they had 
found the herd diseased, and Dr. Law had condemned 
half the cattle by eye and ear alone, it being before 
tuberculin was known. These were slaughtered, but 
the rest, too, were gradually slaughtered, and found 
to be diseased, also. “ It took every hoof.” Then the 
management erected a new barn, and began to build 
up a sound herd by purchase of a few carefully-selected 
animals, and breeding from them. If any beast fell 
to coughing, or became run down, it was separated 
and disposed of. Old cows have been kept weeded out. 
The disease was purchased in getting a bull; he proved 
an expensive investment. 
The old barn was left vacant a year, scraped, and 
disinfected several times. The new herd was kept 
off the old pasture fields, till they had grown crops 
for a time. Two students came to help on the larger 
herd, and a small herd of dry cows. The latter were 
found in cramped, draughty quarters, in a barn at 
some distance, recently come into possession of the 
hospital authorities. All were treated. During this 
night, a heavy northwest wind sprang up, and the 
weather became cold. There was only an inch board 
between the cattle and the blast. Likely the dis¬ 
turbed temperatures found that morning are in part 
accounted for by the change in the weather. 
As the records of the day accumulated, it was evi¬ 
dent that several cows were giving reactions. One to 
which my attention was called, hung her head, and 
felt cold to the hand, with an internal temperature of 
104.2 degrees. The cow looked as well as any in the 
herd, before she reacted. Here is the record taken of 
her : Cow, No. 47 ; weight, 1,050 pounds ; temperature: 
4.50 p.m., 101.4 degrees (29 drops tuberculin 10.30 p.m.); 
8 a. M., 101.9 degrees; 9.30 a. m., 102.8 degrees; 11.10 
A. m., 104.2 degrees; 12.10 p. m., 105.9 de¬ 
grees; 2 p. m., 104.2 degrees; 3 p. m., 104 
degrees. A gradual and considerable 
rise, with a gradual fall, characterizes 
the reaction. Another cow gave figures 
that follow : 101 degrees, 101.2, 102, 101.8, 
101.6, 101.6. Many other cows had similar 
records. 
Upon consulting records, and making 
examinations, Dr. Law concluded that 
all cows that reacted were near calving, 
and it has been found that sound cows 
near their term will react to the dose of 
tuberculin. We gave Capt. Gilbert our 
heartiest congratulations, that the herd 
seemed free. It certainly is a good lesson 
for us, for the disease was once and for 
all cleaned out when the old herd was 
slaughtered. Other precautions, such as 
separate stalls, to prevent animals from 
licking up one another’s food, have been 
neglected, neither have the same stalls 
been given to each animal. The one 
measure of keeping out the germ has 
proved effectual. In the hands of trained 
men, tuberculin is valuable, but the reck¬ 
less or unskilled should not be trusted to 
use it at all. A novice, perhaps, should 
depend upon retests after a period of several weeks. 
HOWARD B. CANNON. 
R. N.-Y.—The pictures on this page show the cow, 
Fancy, which was slaughtered at the Minnesota Ex¬ 
periment Station. This cow was a fine-looking ani¬ 
mal, in good flesh, and weighed 1,400 pounds. Few 
A FINE-LOOKING COW, WITH BADLY DISEASED LUNGS. Fig. 30. 
