Q74 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1898. 
STAMPING OUT TUBERCULOSIS. 
From the American rural journals we learn that it has cost Massachusetts—the 
old Bay State—three-quarters of a million dollars during the past four years to 
endeavour to stamp out tuberculosis in cattle. The results have proved so 
poor that the Legislature this year has refused to appropriate further funds, 
and the work is being brought to a close. Farmers objected at first to the 
business, as they were only paid half value for the cattle destroyed by the 
State, but when full value was paid they co-operated heartily, and thus the 
policy has had a very fair trial. Out of 210,000 head 9,844 were suspected of 
tuberculosis, and only half of these (5,062) reacted. Thus only 2°4 per cent. of 
the cattle inspected proved to be diseased. 
Since only 4 per cent. of the cattle condemned in 1897 proved to be badly 
diseased, while 33 per cent. of those condemned in 1895 were suffering from 
“general tuberculosis,” two things are evident (says the Pacific Rural Press): 
One, that the physical examination was very thorough in 1897; and, two, that 
badly diseased cattle had been about all destroyed by the work of the previous 
. year. The largest number found to be generally tuberculous was 1,051 in 
1896, or about one-half of 1 per cent. of all the cattle in the State. 
It is stated that most of the slightly diseased cattle would recover under 
roper care, and that the carcasses would prove to be healthy food, and 
urthermore 96 per cent. of the cattle condemned in 1897 were but slightly 
diseased, and consequently might have been saved. 
We are next given the cost of the work during four years. 'T'o weed 
out 2,500 badly diseased cattle, 10,000 which were but slightly affected had to 
be slaughtered, and all that was netted by the hides and carcasses was $1 
apiece. The whole business cost $706,000 (about £140,000), or at the rate of 
$28 (over £5 10s.) per head tested, and $57 (£11 10s.) per head condemned. 
Nearly $500,000 (£100,000) was for cattle killed, but the operating expenses 
$220,000 (£44,000) averaged nearly $9 (£1 17s. 6d.) per head tested, or $18 
(£3 15s.) per head killed. The cattle killed were worth $83 (£6 17s. 6d.) 
apiece, vo that half their value was expended in condemning them. Taken 
altogether, it was found that the cost of the whole work amounted to $100 
(£20) a head. 
We now come to the conclusion drawn from an exhaustive report, which it 
is unnecessary to reproduce. 
The first conclusion is that the Massachusetts system has almost 
exterminated the badly diseased cattle, but these at most constituted less than 
one-half of 1 per cent. of the total number in one year. The system then appears 
not to have materially reduced the proportion, slightly diseased, that react to 
tuberculin. 7 
The second finding reads: To find and slaughter these badly diseased 
animals cost about $100 per head, besides nearly $500,000 paid to farmers for 
cattle killed. 
Four out of every five killed were but slightly diseased, might have 
recovered, or were available as healthy meat. 
Thirdly, we have a sweeping denunciation of the work as being a system 
“too utterly unscientific, too horribly extravagant, too outrageously wasteful, 
too senseless, and too impractical to ever be repeated.” 
Coming to the fourth conclusion, we note that tuberculin evidently does 
not injure healthy cattle; it reveals the presence of tubercles, except in © 
advanced cases, but is no measure of their extent. Whether it aids in curing 
mild cases or tends to render them malignant is not yet settled. ‘To kill simply 
because a test reacts, is folly. 
The Orange Judd Farmer in the fifth place says :—The positive failure of 
the radical method to accomplish the purpose sought lends added importance 
to the truth laid down by this journal when the radical policy was beeun—that 
separation from the herd of animals suspected by either tuberculin or physical 
