THE TUBERCULIN TEST

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 54

THE TUBERCULIN TEST

A good many people not particularly interested in the disease of tuberculosis in cattle, and not having studied the question, may not quite grasp the meaning of the tuberculin test. As the question of this disease in cattle *is at present exciting so much interest, I attach a short explanation. The substance tuberculin is prepared from a great number of the tubercle bacilli, which are grown in an incubator. This substance, which is very powerful, is injected into the body of the animal suspected of being affected with the disease. In the body of an animal possessing tuberculosis, an injection of the correct quantity of tuberculin will set up a considerable amount of feverish disorder, and the temperature will be found to have risen several degrees. If the animal be free from tuberculosis, the temperature will not rise. When tuberculin was first discovered, it was thought that repeated injections would cure the disease, but this, unfortunately, has not proved to be the case. However, the discovery is one of inestimable good, it affording the only true means of ascertaining the presence of tuberculosis wherever it exists. An objection held out against the application of the test is that cattle slightly affected, and others badly and incurably saturated with tho disease, will both react to the test in the same manner, whereas isolation and thoroughly healthy conditions will often cure the slightly affected beast. However, where there is no tuberculin test, the discovery of the disease would often not be found to exist- until in a more advanced stage, where cure would be impossible, and where the disease would have probably spread to many other animals. The point about tuberculin is that it- must be applied by a thoroughly competent and scientific man, otherwise a mistake may occur, which is most dangerous in throwing this valuable and reliable means of diagnosing the disease into disrepute. It must bo remembered that the. tendency is for prejudice to he against the test, and we know that, without the test hut little can he done towards contending against bovine tuberculosis.—“Pastoralists* Review.”