26U 
THE TUBERCULIN TEST IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
It was apparent to your committee from their observations at 
the investigation, that a reaction from the tuberculin test in no 
way indicates the extent to which the animals may be tnbercn- 
lons. This fact can only be determined upon post-mortem exam¬ 
ination. 
It seems to us, then, that the testing of herds with tuberculin 
as has been done in the past, and the slaughter of reacting ani¬ 
mals, does not offer an absolute guarantee to the farmer or owner 
that the remainder of his cattle are free from tuberculosis or that 
they may not be infected within a comparatively short time^ 
even though he replaces the condemned animals by those which 
are tested and alleged to be healthy. 
We also wish to call attention to the necessity of thoroughly 
cleansing and disinfecting the buildings in which condemned 
animals have been kept, and this should be done at the earliest 
opportunity under the order or supervision of the Board of Cat¬ 
tle Commissioners or their agents, and before new animals are 
placed therein. 
From our observations at .the investigation, we hold that the 
Board of Cattle (Tmmissioners should at once take into consid¬ 
eration modifications of the law relative to the condemnation of 
cattle by tuberculin test alone, that is, upon the request of 
owners of cattle for such testing of their herds. If cattle are to 
be condemned or regarded as suspicions animals only after they 
show signs of disease, it is a question as to the propriety or equity 
of the state paying full value for those that are actually dis¬ 
eased. This proposition we respectfully refer to the considera¬ 
tion of the next General Court, trusting that the Board of Cattle 
Commissioners will, in the meantime, consider the same ques¬ 
tion and offer recommendations in their annual report. 
We believe that the legislature should at once deal with the 
matter of indiscriminate tuberculin tests. We recommend that 
all testing of cattle with tuberculin when compensation is ex¬ 
pected be limited to the Cattle Commissioners or their author¬ 
ized agents. The Board of Cattle Commissioners have already 
expended more than $160,000 of the total appropriation of 
$250,000 made earlier in the session. If they are compelled to 
kill all reacting animals and allow full compensation for the 
' diseased cattle the remainder of the appropriation will soon be 
exhausted. There will then be no money for the prosecution of 
the regular work of the commission or the slaughter of those 
animals reported by the local inspectors as suspicious cases and 
which are really the most dangerous animals to the health and 
