DEATH-BLOW TO CONSUMPTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 2

DEATH-BLOW TO CONSUMPTION.

TUBERCULIN TEST FOR COWS. ' WHAT WOUMJj IT COST? ' ' not enforce 'ihe tuberculin.Vest; "P?! 1 - nll . c . ows supplying milk to towns? 1 ' llus question- ivas asked by a Dominion .representative of .Mr. S. S. Camel on,,' chief ' dairy supervisor .an - cliiftf veterinarian of Victoria. ' . j "It ought to be done*,' 1 was the prompt reply. | > ■ 1 ''' Why not "do it?" -- ' ' I 'suppose ouri' legislators have been occupied with''matters v that are coil-' sjdered niorct' ' . • , "Tuberculin 'would,, slow up the tuberculous" cows?" ' ' : \"'i V'Yes.V;::, -3. '■ ' ■ " And enable ■ one, of<ftio sources of", cotit • sumption, infection, to.-, .beings to,be' ' swept away • • . '■Certainly. If;licenses:were'issued only for ; . cows, which . periodcally : passed, the' tuberculin test, -the milk supply of' towns would be practically abovs suspicion." ~ " ..- would .probabft'kgih "•with /a .city like 1 - Melbourne,'. 1 with fits' half-million' ' people?'-' . ( . , •!, " Yes." ,', i How. many cows are >,ttcre supplying tko ; •milk 'of the city?" J'.'-'j . . v. . ; " Roughly, about 60,000 cows!" ■ f. " ; Of which' til?,- tuberculous .proportion'ij. —' . ' Perhaps about ten • ptr cent. Porh'aps GOOO cows -would -'re-Bet,'.diowing that they are. tuberculous.." , ■ . it . cosfe%t:i), compensate:' the for: destroying diseased cows ?" ' ictor.va; ''does'.not /'cflmiwnsate.''..l :hm. a. strong .a&vobate of\cbmpmsatidn; but the ' principle hay never bwm afloptcid im'respcbt. . 'of ..-any. of 'these, matters in Victoria's-It - is against tiieHpbliby ,of -Australia/ - Whether the; enforcemenfbf the' tubirculin test.would : form Uie .case in, .which; .'it departure - from . adopted lis "a 'matter • ;cbnsideratioii/ 1 :-But* inj.any . cade". • .com-pbiisation.-or nb. CTm'pensa&n. the. ultimate result .to the ' consumers', -{tould .'.be .dearer ' increased '$ric<j, -'.vhich'' I have al- - ' ready, pointed outfit ..wo'iild'be''well worth their while to -pay; ;lfib question is- Shall the" public," as!; taxpayers,pay'compensation; or the , public, as consum'ers;.-lpay : ,!'for dearer milk,,-' in order; that" tte>—Vhe," adults' of the < liyes of: the in- . rents?'.- I. say JiYes.':". y-i'v'y-'; . .'"■lf; compensation .wejfe agreedon,' what i;.--I;.'.''' "■At £3, per-head oil-. 6p00: eovi's. the cost would: be £18,000, and.if only. -'hillf of these, , cows'were, going to death of only one infant each, the niorey. wquld be ; well ' spent. .'lt/has been actuanlyijcornputed that ' the' life/'of a human ''-being" is £500.'' ' So' : the A'alue of.; 3000; liveft skitecl th? : tuberculin test would be. ;£1,40.000j '.and'i'the : cost of .paving them wQulJ.b'e^iily> ; isiß,QOO."'.- ; ' .;" Do all tuberculous' cow's, gib tuberculous'' milk?" ' ;- f "In '55 cows condemned dairy supervision', branch and fount},. iii dissection, . to. be, tuberculous, 27^thatj6;practically, SO : : per cent—hnd: the, the most .prolific source .of tuberculosis .germs in milk." 1 ' f''■■'.¥■?: ■V. ' • Tuberculin,''referred -to, 'By. MK : .Gameron, , is '. (as ,is generallj; known ,;by; faimers) a product of tulicreoltijis'--"' ! 1 'tbst' ;brasisls'' of tho,injection' of . the: tuberduliiv. tosm into, the . skin of an animal, or placing 4 small quantity, beneath Van .'eyelid,' and . observing the siib'sequeiit-. temperature.,, •If tlie ','iiiiipal' J. bo healthy, there will hojiio .iioticeable.tffect, \ but -if it- be-':tuberculo\ls. a' .increase of; te'mperi''ture! ; ' THis.;in-', •' crcase: . .of . temperature-; is, r called t-ho.;.\re-a'ctiori," and. it- is thor'critcial; test,' , Tiiuer-'. clilin.doas no harm.io'.ihealthy' animals, .'and,. in; fact; , it" has b'een'.'irijectoij' lrito, infants .'todiagnose, It'has • been rcccntlj s . so''usedHn Now-'Zealand;:;'V .