The results of the use of tuberculin in the Castlecraig herd belonging to Sir T. D. Gibson Carmichael / by James Wilson.

Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The results of the use of tuberculin in the Castlecraig herd belonging to Sir T. D. Gibson Carmichael / by James Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    as in March 1895, and the result, as was expected, after the preliminary testing in September, was exceedingly satisfactory : only two animals had to be taken from the sound and added to the gradually diminishing unsound herd. Of the three former doubtfuls, one still remained doubtful, another re-acted decidedly, the third did not re-act at all, and, unfortunately, as already mentioned, was removed to the sound herd. The only unsatisfactory circumstance was the re-acting of the two cows that had not re-acted in the previous March. If they were tuberculous at the first testing, then the tuberculin, which is not an absolutely perfect test, failed; if they were not tuberculous, then their becoming tuberculous in the meantime might possibly be attributed to the want of disin- fection the first testing. The third general testing has just taken place (in November 1896) and the results are completely satisfactory. In all 89 Aberdeen-Angus cattle have been tested; but, as six of these were animals recently bought in and as their condition in no way concerns the principles upon which the herd has been managed, the results they give are altogether left out of account. The number of animals tested with which we are concerned is 83, and of these only eight— all now left alive of the original eighteen—had previously re-acted. Those eight animals all re-acted again, and, in addition to them, there was only one other animal. Had the case of this new re-acting animal been an ordinary case— had she been in precisely the same condition as the other eighty-five—the re-action of only one among so many would have been considered very satisfactory, but it so happens that this animal’s case is such that the fact of her re-acting is a very strong argument in support of the method adopted