STATUS OF TUBERCULAR ERADICATION WORK

Mr. BUCHANAN. Is there any end to this, do you think? Doctor MOHLER. Yes, I believe there is. We certainly have made big progress. When we started this work in 1917, there was approximately 5 per cent of all cattle tested showing a reaction to the tuberculin test, and now that has been reduced to less than 2 per

cent.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Will you have to test all of these cattle over again? Doctor MOHLER. In some States which have been accredited we only retest once in six years where they are largely range cattle or once in three years where they are dairy cattle and the original infection was more marked. There are over 1,500 health officers in the various cities of the United States who require a tuberculin test of this character before milk can be brought in for local consumption. That is keeping up the testing and keeping down the expense to us a great deal.

Mr. BUCHANAN. They are principally in the larger cities, are they not?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes.

Mr. BUCHANAN. What would you estimate, then, as the length of time you will have to carry on this work?

Doctor MOHLER. Last year I estimated that 1938 would be the time when most of these States would be accredited; but some of the counties in these States are not making appropriations and some of the States have also fallen down slightly in their appropriations. As I said, last year this was $14,000,000; next year it will be $13,000,000. So I can not tell how the trend will be after that.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Even when they complete the work, is it probable we would still have to maintain some inspectors around the country? Doctor MOHLER. There will have to be a nucleus, a skeleton force, to check up on these different States and see how the work is being done.

Mr. BUCHANAN. And to ascertain any sections or communities where the disease is increasing?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes.

TRANSMISSION OF TUBERCULOSIS BACILLI FROM MILK OF COW

Mr. BUCHANAN. Has it definitely been settled-I say definitely, now that this disease is transmitted through the milk to the child? Doctor MOHLER. Mr. Chairman, there is not a medical college in the world of any standing which does not teach, nor any recognized medical authority in the world who does not accept the proof that tuberculosis bacilli can be transmitted from the milk of the cow to children, and cause severe infection in the latter.

Mr. BUCHANAN. You say "can be. Some years ago, in these hearings, we had some instances cited. Is that now an accepted fact? Doctor MOHLER. It is an accepted fact.

Mr. BUCHANAN. By the medical profession?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUCHANAN. That it is transmitted?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes, sir. Of course, you can find some few physicians who do not accept it, like the few physicians who do not believe in vaccination, diphtheria germs, and things of that kind; but they are the exception and not the rule.

CAUSE OF ELIMINATION OF TUBERCULOSIS OF ANIMALS IN CERTAIN AREAS

Mr. SUMMERS. I note that Arkansas has only three-hundredths of 1 per cent reactors; Alabama, nine-hundredths of 1 per cent; Mississippi, seven-hundredths; South Carolina, seven-hundredths; and Tennessee, nine-hundredths of 1 per cent, and these States are outstanding in the very infinitesimal number of reactors. Is that because of climatic conditions, or because of better cooperation, or what is the explanation of the almost total elimination of tuberculosis of cattle in those States?

Doctor MOHLER. The explanation is that their native cattle never had tuberculosis and never would have had tuberculosis had it not been for the dairymen of those States buying infected cattle from some of the old dairy States. You go down in Mississippi, for instance, where 10 or more years ago they brought in from New York, Wisconsin, or Minnesota dairy cattle of some of the well-known breeds, and you will find that even the small amount of infection you refer to was started in different dairy communities by bringing in infected cows. The smaller the number of these importations the less tuberculosis present.

Mr. SUMMERS. I see the State of Louisiana, which is down in the midst of those States, does not have quite the same showing, and do not they have the same breed of cattle?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes. What is the percentage given there?
Mr. SUMMERS. Well there is 2.8 per cent.

Doctor MоHLER. 2.8?

Mr. SUMMERS. Yes, measured against less than three-hundredths of 1 per cent in Arkansas, and Louisiana adjacent with 2.8 per cent. Doctor MOHLER. Well the same statement applies. It is particularly true of Louisiana which has brought in large numbers of dairy cattle from the north. Prior to the enforcement of this law on tuberculosis eradication, they imported unwittingly many diseased cattle. Right around New Orleans, when tuberculin tests were made in that section, there was a large percentage of tuberculosis found, but fortunately that is now history.

Mr. SANDLIN. It is almost entirely confined to that section around New Orleans, on the map?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes. And I do not think there is any section in any State you have mentioned that has the large milk shed of New Orleans—the large number of dairy cattle supplying any one city with milk. When you get up into the northern parishes of Louisiana, the amount of tuberculosis is practically nil.

Mr. BUCHANAN. And some breeds of cattle are more susceptible than others?

Doctor MOHLER. Slightly so, but it is not sufficient to be of any significance at all. All breeds are highly susceptible to tuberculosis. Mr. BUCHANAN. Do you find among the cattle in the cold climates of the North, where they are kept in sheds, that it aids in the development of this disease any?

Doctor MOHLER. Oh, yes; it certainly does. It allows for greater contact, and the principal method of spreading this disease is by contact with previously diseased animals.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Well the open-air treatment of this disease does not have much effect on cattle?

Doctor MOHLER. No, sir; it does not.

Mr. SUMMERS. You say the open-air handling is not a particular factor?

Doctor MOHLER. Not a particular factor; no,

sir.

CAUSES OF SPREAD OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG ANIMALS

Mr. BUCHANAN. By what means is this thing spread or conveyed from one animal to another; is it the breeding, or the eating, or what is it?

Doctor MOHLER. As in man, tuberculosis of cattle is largely a disease of the lungs. Infected persons cough and expectorate; cattle cough and swallow the sputum because they can not expectorate. The bacilli, being coughed up from the infected lungs and swallowed, pass out through the intestinal canal, and infect the stable, barnyard, pasture, corral, grass plots or watering places. The animals associated with them or coming after them pick up the germs.

Mr. SUMMERS. But that would affect other animals, their coughing, in the stalls, feeding places, and watering places.

Doctor MOHLER. Yes, surely; but the large danger is from the germs that are brought up into the pharynx and are swallowed and go out through the intestinal canal with the manure. You find more germs eliminated in this manner from an infected animal than by any other way.

Mr. SUMMERS. Then from there——

Doctor MOHLER. They pass out of the body with the manure and anything such contaminated manure touches will be polluted with these germs. Thus they come in contact with the grasses, forage, feed, water, stalls, and barns.

Mr. BUCHANAN. They must be hardy little rascals to live on that

way.

Doctor MOHLER. They are; they are hardy germs.

ERADICATING CATTLE TICKS

Mr. BUCHANAN. The next item is for eradicating cattle ticks:

Eradicating cattle ticks: For all necessary expenses for the eradication of southern cattle ticks, $671,089: Provided, That no part of this appropriation shall be used for the purchase of animals or in the purchase of materials for or in the construction of dipping vats upon land not owned solely by the United States, except at fairs or expositions where the Department of Agriculture makes exhibits or demonstrations; nor shall any part of this appropriation be used in the purchase of materials or mixtures for use in dipping vats except in experimental or demonstration work carried on by the officials or agents of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Doctor MOHLER. The following is submitted:

$53,311 decrease due (a) $2,311 reduction in rents by the expected occupancy of Federal buildings; (b) $51,000 reduction on account of continuation of legislative furloughs.

WORK UNDER THIS APPROPRIATION

This appropriation is used cooperatively for the payment of salaries and travel, and office expenses, of veterinarians and agents in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, in the eradication of the southern cattle tick, which spreads splenetic fever infection among cattle. As counties are cleaned up they are released from Federal quarantine, and their surplus livestock may then be shipped to markets without restrictions. The States generally are contributing larger sums to this work than the appropriation provided by the Federal Government. The work is done under State laws and regulations, Federal money being expended for supervision, thus insuring that all measures of eradication be so carried out as to warrant the release of cleaned areas from quarantine.

STATUS OF CATTLE TICK ERADICATION WORK

Mr. BUCHANAN. I suppose the reduction in this item is the same thing the savings?

Doctor MOHLER. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Which have been carried into the estimates.
Doctor MоHLER. That is true.

Mr. BUCHANAN. You are estimating $671,089 for next year and there was appropriated $724,400 for 1933. That work ought to be getting along pretty well.

Doctor MOHLER. It is getting along very nicely, excepting in Louisiana. This appropriation is expended in the payment of salaries, travel, and office expenses of veterinarians and agents who are cooperating with the officials and livestock owners in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia in the eradication of the cattle tick which spreads splenetic fever infection among cattle and in protecting free areas from infestation by controlling the movements of infested livestock from quarantined areas. During the fiscal year 1934 the most extensive activity in this project will probably be in the States of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

As areas are freed from this tick they are released from Federal quarantine, thus relieving the livestock industry of the quarantine restrictions, permitting free movements to markets and the safe introduction of purebred animals with which to improve the native stock.

The interested States generally spend larger sums in this work than the Federal Government. The work is conducted under the provisions of the laws and regulations of the various States, the Federal appropriations being expended largely in furnishing experienced supervision to insure as far as possible the application of eradication measures which will result in the elimination of the tick and warrant the release of cleaned areas from quarantine.

Mr. BUCHANAN. You use there the word "largely"-the Federal appropriation is largely spent for that.

Doctor MоHLER. Yes.

Mr. BUCHANAN. The Federal appropriation is not spent for anything, is it, except administrative expenses and supervision of the eradication of the tick by the State authorities?

Doctor MOHLER. That is true. The Federal appropriation is being expended largely in furnishing experienced supervision to insure, as far as possible, the application of eradication measures.

Mr. BUCHANAN. It is spent altogether for that, is it not?

Doctor MOHLER. No. We have a lot of work being done in giving moving-picture displays to people in the parishes and counties before our tick eradicating forces begin systematic eradication work.

Mr. BUCHANAN. I understand that, but the Government does not pay for any material for the construction of vats.

Doctor MOHLER. That is true.

Mr. BUCHANAN. All that is paid for by the States?
Doctor MOHLER. By the States and counties.

Mr. BUCHANAN. So that the Government does nothing but supervise, except to create favorable sentiment in a hostile country? Doctor MOHLER. That is true. As you know, we have some local agents we employ to do the actual work of painting a mark on the cattle to see that they do not go through the dip too often, or that they at least go through once. That kind of work is not supervision; that is actual manual labor. These men are employed at ninety or one hundred dollars a month to carry on that line of work. So I say "largely supervision," because some money is being spent in all of the States for agents who work temporarily during the dipping season, such as cowboys who ride the ranges and help to get the cattle up, and to find estrays. We have to get a 100 per cent round-up, or the dipping is not thorough.

Mr. BUCHANAN. But that is supervision to see that it is done. Doctor MOHLER. Yes.

Mr. SANDLIN. How many counties were released last year?

Doctor MOHLER. Last year we released 22 counties. On December 5, 1932, there will be eight counties released in Arkansas. That takes Arkansas entirely out of quarantine the 1st of December. There are 9 counties to be released the 5th of December in Florida, and 10 whole counties and part of a county in Texas. There will be a total of 27 or 28 released in 1932.

NUMBER OF COUNTIES WITHIN STATES WHEREIN TICKS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED AND THOSE REMAINING TO BE CLEARED UP

Mr. BUCHANAN. How many States in the South-that disease is all in the South-have been entirely released and how many not, and, in those States not released, how many counties have been released and how many have you yet to work on?

Doctor MOHLER. As far as the Federal Government is concerned, all of those States have been released with the exception of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. We have completed the work entirely in Alabama; there were 67 quarantined counties originally in Alabama, and we have cleaned up 67 counties. In Arkansas, while we released 75 counties, we still have 15 counties that will have a tick here or a herd that is infected there [indicating]; but that is now going to be taken care of by a local or State quarantine. As far as the Federal Government is concerned, we are out of the State from a quarantine viewpoint. In California they had 15 infected counties. They are all clean and have been clean for a number of years. In Florida there were 67 counties and 46 of them have been totally cleaned. That leaves 21. In Georgia there are 158 counties, and 157 counties are entirely clean. They had one county reinfested this last summer, for the first time in three years, as the result of buying some ticky calves which were brought in a truck from Florida across the State line into the lower part of Georgia. A few months later we found a lot