CLEVELAND’S EXPERIENCE WITH THE TUBERCULIN TEST.

Cleveland was one of the first cities to incorporate in its ordinances a requirement that no milk should be sold in the city except from dairies holding certificates that their cows are free from tuberculosis as shown by the tuberculin test. The experience of this city is therefore of interest and value in connection with the subject of a wholesome milk supply for cities. Following are the sections of the Cleveland ordinance relating to the tuberculin test:

PART ONE, TITLE V.

Sec. 4. On and after the —— day of ——, 1906, no milk will be allowed to be sold or offered for sale or brought into the city from any cow or cows unless the owner of said cow or cows holds a certificate of this board’s veterinarian, or other veterinarian acceptable to this board, that said cow or cows are free from tuberculosis as shown by the tuberculin test.

Sec. 5. Any person selling or offering for sale any milk from uninspected cows as above shall be subject to having his license revoked.

The city did not attempt at the outset to require all dairymen to conform to this section, and it is not the intention to do so until the State laws on the subject are more efficient and provide prompt compensation for cattle destroyed. At present the tuberculin test is required only of dairies where tuberculosis is known to exist as determined by physical examination or by tracing cattle killed at abattoirs. If the owner does not consent to the test and to the slaughter of the reacting cattle, his milk is excluded from sale in the city, and in addition the State board of live stock commissioners is notified, which commissioners have the authority to enforce the test or to quarantine the suspected herd. If the owner consents, the test is made free of charge. After the test the reacting cattle are appraised by two disinterested persons, one selected by the board of health, the other by the owner. The average between the two values is taken as the true value, and the appraisal and report of the test is submitted to the State board of live stock commissioners. If this board approves the finding, an order is issued authorizing the health department to destroy the reacting cattle, which is done and promptly reported back to the State authorities. The approved appraisal is then submitted to the governor, approved by him, and submitted to the proper committee of the legislature, which finally instructs the State auditor to draw a warrant for the claim. The law allows from one-half to three-fifths of the appraised value, but so far all claims have been paid in full.

The attitude of the dairymen toward the test was somewhat hostile at first, which was natural, as it was a great surprise to them to find that tuberculosis existed to such an extent among their herds. Several instances were met, however, even at the first, of exceedingly public-spirited dairymen who did all in their power to assist the board of health, even where the losses were very severe. The hostile feeling manifest at first has since given way to a fair-minded conception of the situation, and the only objection to the general application of the test is the long delay in the payment of the claims. This is a very great hardship on a dairyman who is in debt and dependent upon his cattle for the support of his family, especially as in Ohio the legislature meets only every alternate year.

The following are the statistics of the work of the board of health for the eighteen months beginning with January, 1906:

Number of herds tested 20

Number of cattle tested 280

Number of reactions 89

Percentage of reactions 32

Tested by other veterinarians under direct supervision of the board of health:

Number of herds tested 13

Number of cattle tested 201

Number of reactions 29

Percentage of reactions 15

It is understood that within the same period about three times as many cows have been tested by private veterinarians, the reacting cattle being secretly sold and shipped to other States.

The greatest good accomplished has been in the dissemination of knowledge concerning bovine tuberculosis among not only the dairymen, but the people generally. The health office receives almost daily inquiries as to where milk from tuberculin-tested cows can be had for domestic purposes, and almost as many inquiries as to where tuberculin-tested cows can be purchased. Nearly one-half of the herds tested have been tested as the result of requests of owners who desired to know for themselves what condition their herds were in. This has been specially true in the last six months. It is expected that more cattle will be tested in the next year than in the preceding eighteen months, and if State laws can be passed that will be satisfactory and efficient and provide a fair compensation there will probably be more herds to test than the present force can handle.

The efforts of the Cleveland board of health to eradicate tuberculosis from dairy herds and to secure a safe milk supply for the city deserve commendation, and other cities may well profit by this experience and adopt similar measures to safeguard the health of the public.