462 
JOHN M. PARKER. 
tions of serum say they are pleased with it, not because the 
number of recoveries obtained had been greater, but the disease 
has been less severe, and when recovery has occurred the con¬ 
valescence has been shortened. 
Besides, it often happens that the traumatic course of the dis¬ 
ease escapes all researches and the “ eradication of the infected 
centre ” so well recommended cannot be made ; the development 
of the toxins goes on, the tetanic intoxication is increased ; it is 
specially in these cases that serum shall be useful; powerless 
against toxins already absorbed at the time the treatment is be¬ 
gun, it may destroy, at the time of their formation, those that 
the undiscovered centre may still produce. 
Unfortunately, these cases are very rare, and most often the 
antitoxic serum does not prevent tetanus progressing to its fatal 
end. If, then, serum is to be still used in the treatment of con¬ 
firmed tetanus, the veterinarian who will expect to cure the 
majority of his patients will be exposed to hard disappoint¬ 
ments. To-day, as yesterday, most elementary prudence 
imposes the preventive injection of serum in all kinds of 
traumatisms which are known to be frequently followed by 
tetanus. 
RESULTS ATTAINED AND ATTAINABLE BY STATE 
CONTROL OF TUBERCULOSIS. 
By John M. Parker, D. V. S., Secretary Massachusetts Cattle Commission, 
Haverhill, Mass. 
Read before the United States Veterinary Medical Association, at Nashville. Sept. 8, 1897. 
Before considering more fully the subject matter of this pa¬ 
per, you will pardon me if I stop for a moment to notice one or 
two stray thoughts that have occasionally occurred to me. 
It has seemed sometimes in discussing this subject that there 
has been too great a tendency among the members of the profes¬ 
sion to look upon everything as secondary to the question—as 
to whether a cow reacted to tuberculin or not. It has seemed as 
if there had been too great a tendency to let everything else go, 
