TUBERCULOSIS IN MASSACHUSETTS 
383 
ences.” The fewer number of errors being due to the fact 
that a greater reaction was considered necessary by the Com¬ 
missioners before the animals were condemned. During the 
earlier period a fewer number of degrees of reaction was 
taken as indicating tuberculosis ; but from the large number 
of errors creeping in, the necessary reaction was increased, 
so that there was less likelihood of error in this direction, but 
at the same time there was a greater danger of passing tuber¬ 
culous animals as sound. That this danger existed is shown 
by the report of the Inspector of the Boston Board of Health. 
At the Brighton abattoir, where all animals condemned by 
the Commissioners were slaughtered, there were in all (from 
November 25th, 1894, till January 1st, 1895), 104 animals con¬ 
demned and killed on the tuberculin test; of this number 82 
were tuberculous and 22 were non-tuberculous, showing a 
percentage of error of 21.1. On the other hand, 63 animals 
after being pronounced free from disease, the brand of the 
Commonwealth having been placed on the right hip, were 
bought by dealers and killed for beef; of these 63 animals 4, 
or 6.34 per cent., were found to be tuberculous; while in one 
week, in February, 10 animals were condemned as tubercu¬ 
lous, and of the 10, six were found to be free from disease. 
The third head : “ The systematic examination with tuber¬ 
culin of all herds within the State, which includes the test by 
tuberculin, the destruction of all diseased animals, the disin¬ 
fecting of the contaminated premises, and the branding of all 
animals found free from disease,” is perhaps the feature of the 
work that has roused the greatest opposition among the 
farmers. To use their own words : “ The Commissioners felt 
that the best method of protecting all parties and eradicating 
the disease was only to be obtained by a thorough scientific 
examination of all neat stock throughout the State. They, 
therefore, decided to begin a systematic examination of all 
animals in the State, county by county, taking proper precau¬ 
tion, as fast as all the animals in each county had been ex¬ 
amined, destroyed or marked, to prevent, by quarantine 
regulations, the importation within the limits of animals which 
had not alreadj^ been so examined. 
