TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2496, 10 September 1897, Page 3

TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE.

g At a meeting of the Geraldine Farmers xi Club, held on Tuesday evening, tber n being a fair 'attendance, and Mr E 3 Skinner, president, m the chair, Mr E t' Hardcastle, of the Agricultural Depart c ment of the Christchurch Weekly JPresi [ s read a paper on " Tuberculosis ii 3 . Cattle." He pointed out that tubercu c losis was a disease that inflicted a grea 3,1 loss on agriculture m all countries, an> i # from an economic point of view alone i jg demanded attention, and when to tha 1y was added the question of the publi it health, the subject became of twofol . n importance. Tuberculosis m animals >n and phthisis or consumption ija huma ie beings, were identical, and readily con: [ c municable from man to animal or fror id animal to man. In all instances the dii a ease was due to the presence m th il? system of the microscopic knQW

as the bacillus tuberculosis, which was discovered and isolated by the celebrated Professor Koch. There was nothing m|>re variable than the localisation or seat ,pf the disease m cattle, the lungs and lymphatic glands beinjj first m order of frequency. The attack might be localised, or it might be spread over various parts of the system. In cases where the disease was confined to internal organs outward examination would rarely enable the most skilful veterinary surgeon to discover it. If, however, an animal was far advanced m generalised tuberculosis, there would probably be, as external symptoms, loss of condition, affected breathing, and unhealthy appearance of the skin. Only a small percentage of tuberculous animals show outward symptoms of any kind< and it was only by the " tuberculin test " that one could with any certainty ascertain whether a given animal was free from the disease. 4.11 authorities were agreed that the localisation of the disease m the udders of cows was the most dangerous to human life, and Professor Nocard, the great French authority on the subject, said that 3 or 4 per cent, of diseased cows have tubercle of the udder. The disease, he said, betrayed itself by a hard, diffuse swelling, usually m a back quarter, unaccompanied by heat or tenderness. After a time the milk became watery , and yellowish, and small portions of coagulated milk.which contained the bacilli or germs, were discharged. The same authority blamed importations of stud stock from England for disseminating the disease on the Continent, and gave figures showing a rapid increase m the percentage of diseased animals detected at the Continental abattoirs during recent years ; m Saxony from 16"4 to 2728 per cent, m five years ; Prussia, 81 to 10.14; Copenhagen, 166 to 29 5 j'Kiel, 8-8 to 30-3 ; etc. In New York 21 per cent, of 4000 animals inspected were tuberculous V m Massachusetts 80 per cent. In pnrts of Great Britain the percentage is 18 7to 26 ; m Victoria 10 to 20, and around Melbourne dairy cows had been found suffering to the extent of 20 to 30 per cent. In the North Island some herds tested showed up to 30 per cent, diseased, and recent tests near Christchurch showed dairy herds affected up to 20 and 25, and m one case 30 per cent. Special interest was taken m the application of the tuberculin test to^the herd of purebred shorthorns belonging to the Lincoln Agricultural College, as the cattle were nearly all young and well cared for. Four out of 25 showed the rise of temperature after the *%}s£s<■ tionof tuberculin, which proved the existence of tubercle somewhere aboutthem, and a fifth gave a doubtful reaction. Ordinary dairy herds m the province, as a rule not so well cared for, would probably show a similar or even higher percentage. There were 36,800 dairy cows and heifers m Canterbury when the last statistics were taken, and a 20 per cent, proportion would give 7360 more or less tuberculous; arid taking Professor Nocard'a lower estimate of 3 per cent, of tuberculosis affecting the udder, this would give about 210 dairy cows m the province whose milk contained the germs of the disease. There must of course be added the diseased among the rest of the horned cattle. Pigs, poultry, cats and dogs, were also victims of the disease ; pigs to a much greater extent than was generally believed, as until of late years they were generally considered immune from it. Horses were also subject to tuberculosis, but only to a limited extent. For many years it was believed that tuberculosis was hereditary, but this belief was fast failing before more accurate observation. At the same time it was highly probable that there was a congenital predisposition to take the disease. The most common means by which tuberculosis was spread, was through the milk of diseased cows, the inhalation of dust containing germs discharged by diseased, animals when coughing, and the eating of tuberculous flesh. The mixing of the milk of tuberculous cows with that of sound ones, m a separator, infected the whole, and m 1894 the Prussian Government, m the belief that this had led to a rapid spread of the disease, issued special orders for disinfecting the whole of the skimmed milk before it was returned to the suppliers. The naixirxg of milk by the suppliers of towns necessarily involved the same risk of danger ; the milk from one cow with a diseased udder would contaminate the whole supply. There were of course very few dairymen who would sell milk if they were aware of its condition ; but there was often no detecting the disease until it had reached an aggravated form, unless the tuberculin test was applied. While there was absolute danger m consuming the milk from a tuberculous udder, there would be grave risk m using the milk of a cow which might have the disease located m the throat Or lungs. There was no knowing how soon the germs would reach and be developed m the milk organs. Extensive medical experience had shown thateows'milk is dangerous food for infants, because of its liability to communicate consumption. This liability to convey disease had, however, been provided with a remedy. The great French scientist Pasteur, practically revolutionised the brewing industry by a simple process which lias been called after his name, "pasteurisation," and this process, applied to milk, destroys all dangerous disease germs. Many careful housewives have from time* immemorial carried out part of the process m a rough and ready way, by " scalding " the milk. It is important to raise the temperature sufficiently to destroy the germs of life— to 150 or 158 degs. Fabr.— but not higher or the. milk will be cooked and its flavour altered. It should be kept from ten to twenty minutes at that temperature, and then cooled as quickly as possible to 50 or 60 deg.,. The milk ia altered by slow cooling; as much as by over heating. Milk'" so treated became a perfectly safe food, kept better, and yielded superior butter. Pasteurisation of milk was largely adopted on the Continent, had been introduced into England, and Australia, and now several pasteurising plants are being erected at Christchurch. *If pasteurised milk became popular, the small dairymen would have to co-operate to procure the necessary plant. Experi- . mentis carried' out m tens of thousands of cases m all countries showed that the ■diagnosis of tuberculosis m cattle was ; easy if recourse was had to " tuberculin." 1 This was a simple glycerine extract, \ prepared from the tubercle bacillus or ' germ, cultivated artificially, the culture \ being sterilised at a temperature equal ' to 230deg. Fahr. m order to kill all the bacilliwhich it contained. This was the 5 product which under the famous name ' of " Koch's lymph " raised such great - but unrealised anticipations a few years ' ago as a prevenlative and cure for coni sumption. While, however, the medical c profession had practically abandoned it, veterinary surgeons and agriculturists * had come to recognise its value m detect- ■ ing the presence of the disease m cattle. 1 The method of using the fluid as a detective is to inject a small dose under the 1 skin. If the animal is sound no resuli appears. If it is tuberculous, whether tc a small or a great extent, the injection within a Jew hours produces a. fever, with a rise m temperature of 2 to 4£deg. Fahr. or more. The fever passes off completelj m a short time without affecting th« s' health of the animal m any way c without even affecting the quan ;• tity or quality of the milk of mild '• cows. Unfortunately the tuberculin tes V gives no indication of the degree t( 5. which an animal may be diseased, am n as a matter of fact cows which show tin i- most marked reaction are generally thi it less diseased ; and m extreme cases tin d test gives no reaction at all. In sucl it cases, however, there will be such out it ward manifestations of the disease tha ie the scientific " test " would not be neces d sary. Objection had been made ii 3» England that the rise m temperatur n had appeared after the test ; the anima i- had been slaughtered and no tubei m culous disease found. In such cases 8* Professor Nocard was positive that th ie localisation had not been properly looker a for, An important question, whether th

flesh of a beast that had tuberculosif anywhere localised, was a safe food i the diseased parts were cut off. Th< authorities were of opinion that it wai safe if well cooked, — that is, the redness changed to a distinct grey ; the bacill were then believed to have been effect ually killed. On the Continent tht meat of tuberculous animals th< visibly diseased parts having been cul off — was officially well cooked and sole at a reduced price as sterile tuberculai meat. This system would not answei m the colonies, where condemned meal could not be made an article of com merce, however perfectly it might bt 14 sterilised." Ther* 1 was no record kepi of the number of animals found to be tuberculous among those slaughtered it the colony for food, but it was only reason' able to suppose that the proportion would resemble that of the diseased among tested dairy stock. In conclusion the writer said that the law relating tc diseases among cattle required to be ad< ministered by the Stock Department m a more thorough-going and efficient manner than at present. The erection of public abattoirs which was now being discussed m most of the large towns m the colony would enable a thorough inspection of meat to be made. The following suggestions were offered for consideratidn: — . . (1) That there should be proper-.Go-vernment inspection of dairies and dairy cattle. (2) That such inspection should embrace the " testing" of all dairy cattle at least on.cc a year, and that each individual animal should s be thoroughly examined periodically by a properly qualified man. ...... (3) That it is desirable that all dairy cattle should be sold subject to the tuberculin lest. (4) That all cattle suffering from generalised tuberculosis should be condemned and. destroyed. (5) That the sale of milk from a cow re-acting to the tuberculin test should be prohibited. (6) That it is. desirable that all milk upon wh ich calves a nd pigs are fed should be boiled or pasteurised. There was also the question to be considered as to whether the colony should not assist the. farmers and dairymen, for a few years at any rate, m stamping out the disease, by granting a certain amount of compensation to owners of diseased animals destroyed. The present system of destruction without compensation only tended to the spreading of tuberculosis through diseased animals being sold and thus passed on to distribute the germs of the disease m another part of the district. If the prize-winners m the breeding classes for dairy stock, or m fact all the prize-winners m cattle at the various shows m the colony, had to be subjected to the tuberculin test it should do much to encourage the breeding of healthy stock. That plan was adopted m Denmark, and also, the writer believed, m France. The paper was favourably criticised, and "the following resolution, moved by Mr Orbell and seconded by Mr J. Allan, was' passed : — " That on account of the spread of tuberculosis, this club desires to recommend the Government to appoint inspectors m the large towns m the colony for the inspection of all meat slaughtered for consumption, and that public abattoirs should be erected to facilitate such inspection ; and also that as far as practicable dairy cattle kept for supplying factories or milk for human consumption should be inspected and tested." On the motion of the president, seconded by Mr Orbell, a very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Hardcastle for his valuable and interesting paper and for the trouble he had taken m coming down from Christchurch to read it.