especially medical men themselves, should not be so ready to accept mere statements of opinion-statements that are written to ventilate personal views, and which rest on no satisfactory experimental data. Brilliant generalities are sometimes very pleasant to hear and to read about, but they ought not to be given ready credence when they involve such large and serious problems as that of tuberculosis. It has been this same dogmatic statement, based on no adequate supporting evidence, that has hitherto delayed the general use of tuberculin in human practice for purposes of early diagnosis -a thing to be earnestly hoped for and expected in the future.

It has also been charged that tuberculin was inaccurate, condemning sound cattle and passing diseased ones, in spite of an enormous amount of competent evidence that it was the most accurate diagnostic agent ever known in the history of medicine. Others objected, saying that it was too accurate, because it condemned cattle but slightly diseased. Others objected on the ground that tuberculosis was evidently so widely spread and so common among cattle that we could do nothing with it anyway, and that we ought therefore to sit down and give up the struggle as hopeless.

A study of the percentages that have been found in Minnesota cattle may not be uninteresting in this connection:

NOTE.-Fifty-five of these tuberculous animals in each case (Groups 4, 6 and 9) were from the same two herds. Eliminating these two herds from Groups 4, 6 and 9, the percentages are reduced respectively to 7.8, 6.8 and 5.

The data submitted in this table were collected in the most im partial way that could be devised, and not with a view to establishing any theory or promoting any argument, but is merely a showing of cold facts, and is offered for whatever it is worth, not as proving anything, but merely as so much circumstantial evidence. All grading and classification was made by the same person and according to a definite standard.

The showing of this table is what any student of sanitary matters should expect. The better the sanitary conditions, the smaller the percentage of tuberculosis, and yet Groups 4, 6, and 9 show that tuberculosis may prevail to a serious extent under good conditions of stabling and care when herds are founded upon tuberculous stock or when owners introduce the disease while trying to improve their stock. This table must not be taken to mean that farmers should not try to improve their stock, but it does suggest that it is unwise. to attempt to do this by introducing tuberculous animals, no difference how long the pedigree or how fine the beef or dairy form. Neither must this table be read as saying that a man should not found a herd of pure breds, but it does suggest that it is unwise to found such a herd upon tuberculous stock. That it is possible to have a vigorous and nontuberculous stock of pure breeding is proven by numerous herds of such cattle scattered here and there over the country which have been tested by this station, and by other stations and private veterinarians, and found sound.

As for the conditions in "good," "fair" and "bad" stables, in general, and the "good," "fair" and "poor" ventilation, the figures of the table speak so plainly that comment is unnecessary.

The herds for which figures are given in this table are fairly representative ones. The per cent tuberculous of 3,430 animals tested is 11.1, but this must not be taken as representing the cattle of Minnesota, for it will be seen that few farm herds have been tested as compared with the number of breeding herds and city dairies.

The figures here given should be taken as estimates of certain classes only.

General experience supports the data shown in the preceding table. Finely bred herds and the city dairy herds show the largest percentages, and farm herds of native stock kept under ordinary farm conditions show small percentages.

As will be seen by reference to the above table, twelve of the total twenty-seven herds tested were more or less tuberculous, and the percentages varied in different herds, from 0 to 39.8, the latter being the highest found in any herd thus far tested by this station. Many workers elsewhere have found eighty and even ninety per cent of the animals in large herds tuberculous.

As to the accuracy of tuberculin as a diagnostic agent, our experience in Minnesota makes the following showing: In seventyone post mortems, seventy animals were proven tuberculous. I did not witness the post mortem in the case where tuberculosis was not shown, but have no question but that the work was carefully done. The animal was a large short-horn bull, in good flesh and gave a peculiar reaction. The temperature at 10 a. m. was 100.8 and at 12 m. 104.2 and then 105.8 at 2 p. m., and remained at about 105 until the last temperature at 10 p. m. The post mortem was made by a very careful veterinarian, in whom I have full confidence, but no post mortem which depends on the human eye and human sense of touch can be absolutely correct. I do not believe that tuberculin

is infallible, but that is more accurate than any macroscopic post mortem can be, and that in those few cases where we find no apparent lesions of tuberculosis the operator is more apt to be at fault than the tuberculin, I am convinced.

This particular bull may or may not have been tuberculous, but the inference that he was so diseased is further strengthened by the fact that this occurred in a large herd of well bred cattle of which over thirty per cent were tuberculous, as shown by the test and by subsequent post mortems.

WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE DOING.

In July last the federal council of Swizerland sent a circular to all the confederated states, concerning tuberculosis among catttle, This circular recites that this action was taken in response to numerous petitions from cantonal governments and agricultural societies, asking that, since tuberculosis is recognized as a contagious disease, and since tuberculin has proven an accurate diagnostic agent, tuberculosis be combatted by the sanitary authorities.

Among the various provisions of this circular, the government offers to furnish the tuberculin free to the various local governments, and to pay half the cost of making the tests; the tuberculin to be used only by veterinarians who hold diplomas and to be employed by them according to prescribed regulations. If an owner wishes to have any portion of his herd tested under these provisions he must have the entire herd tested. Cattle that react must be marked with a tag in the ear. Owners are urged to separate the healthy animals from those that react, and to boil the milk of tuberculous cows before using it for any feeding purpose. This circular also takes the ground that some animals may react and still be useful for breeding, production of milk, or for fattening. Some points. worthy of note in this circular are, that tuberculin is furnished gratuitously, that half the expense of test is borne by the general gov ernment, that no partial herd tests are allowed, and that all cattle that react must be permanently branded. The sound cattle may be branded or not, at option of the owner. This plan is open to criticism, but on the whole marks a good step forward.

Denmark is dealing with this problem of bovine tuberculosis on a somewhat different plan. The government furnishes the tuberculin upon application, and the services of veterinarians for testing the young cattle. If the owner wishes to have his whole herd tested, he pays the additional fee to the veterinarian for testing the older

cattle. Dr. Bang has found it very desirable that whole herds should be tested, and has encouraged such action. Animals selected for early slaughter may be omitted from the test, and are inspected at the place of slaughter. The law forbids the use of uninspected meat from tuberculous cattle, and the use of milk from tuberculous cows that have diseased udders. The plan of dividing the tuberculous herd into two parts, placing those that react in one herd and those that do not react in the other, and putting these into separate barns, or into carefully partitioned portions of the same barn, is encouraged. Badly diseased animals and certain others are killed at once. Infected cows may be used for breeding purposes under certain conditions. They must be kept quite separate from the sound cattle. Their calves are taken from them at birth and kept with the healthy cattle, and reared on milk from healthy cows or on milk that has been sterilized. When a cow in the tuberculous division reaches an advanced stage of the disease she is killed. In this way the sound herd constantly increases and the tuberculous herd decreases in numbers.

France is attempting to deal with this question, also, but the plan in operation is as yet very incomplete and imperfect. However, there are some good points in the French plan worthy of note. No cattle can be brought into France unless shown by the tuberculin test to be free from tuberculosis. When an animal is found presenting outward evidences of tuberculosis, or when one is found tuberculous at slaughter, the herd from which it came is tested. The owner has an option regarding the cattle that react. He may have them slaughtered at once, and receive compensation from the government, or he may keep them isolated for six months. At the end of this period they must be slaughtered under government inspection. If now the carcass is condemned the owner loses. One excellent feature in the French plan is that all slaughter houses are under government or city supervision, and the carcasses are there inspected by public officials; a plan that should be adopted in the near future by all the larger American cities.

It may not be out of place in this connection to report some experiments with tuberculin at the university experiment farm.

An experiment with tuberculin was begun at university farm, in October, 1894, for the purpose of getting light on certain disputed points with reference to the use of tuberculin as a diagnostic and curative agent. This experiment included eleven head of cattle of various breeds and ages. Three were Shorthorns, two were Jersey, three Polled Angus, one Holstein, one Red Polled, and one native.