and Attending Veterinarians, a report of farm conditions made out daily by the Superintendent of barns and forwarded to the Secretary of the Commission nightly, the raising of all cattle for Certified Milk production by the Fairfield Dairy Company_on its own premises, the opening of a Dairy Plant at Pompton, New Jersey. These and several other innovations have been adopted and in any other year would constitute a series of improvements that would mark a long stride toward the attainment of the Commission's ideals. The discovery, however, of a very large percentage of reactors in the Certified herd presented problems to the Commission that overshadowed everything else.

In October, 1914, the Commission's Veterinarian at the request of the Commission made a retest of a certain number of cows that were under the Commission's ruling then due. An unusually large number of cows reacted to the test at that time. This unexpectedly large percentage of reactors induced the Commission to at once order a retest of the entire herd numbering at that time 632 animals and to this test 191 (30.2%) animals reacted. This test was begun October 16th and finished October 29, 1914. These animals were immediately eliminated from the herd. The presence of this unusually large number of reactors was made the basis of a series of sensational newspaper statements. Public and professional confidence was shaken and in order to protect the public and to safeguard the term "Certified" the Commission's certificate was temporarily withheld from the product. The presence of so many diseased animals in the herd made it probable that other animals would show symptoms of the disease later, and in order that the work might be done with the highest efficiency, the Commission with the assistance of the United States Government secured the services of Dr. V. A. Moore, Dean and Director of the New York State School of Veterinary College at Cornell University, Dr. Louis A. Klein, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Dr. David S. White, Dean of Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, with the assistance of Dr. C. P. Fitch, Assistant Professor Cornell University, Dr. V. G. Kimball, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania and Dr. J. N. Shoemaker, Assistant Professor Ohio State University, to direct this third retest of the entire herd, to determine the true status of tuberculin as a means of excluding infected cattle from the Certified Milk herds and to advise the Commission on its future course with reference to the control of Bovine Tuberculosis. This retest was begun January 28th and ended January 31, 1915.

Four hundred and sixty-nine animals were retested by the Board of Veterinary Experts of which 54 were found to react and were at once removed from the herd. Twentyfive other animals were placed in quarantine for subsequent retest, 5 of them on account of high preliminary temperatures, which precluded their being tested at that time, and 20 because of a rise of temperature insufficient to constitute a reaction. At the conclusion of their work the Board of Veterinary Experts gave it as their opinion that the herd was practically free from tuberculosis and the Commission at its next regular meeting, February 11, 1915, restored the certificate to the Fairfield Dairy Company, which had previously been temporarily withheld.

The report of the Board of Veterinary Experts is herewith attached and made a part of this report.

On February 25 and 26, 1915, 8 cows were tuberculin tested by Dr. V. G. Kimball, of the University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Veterinarian to the Commission, and Dr. Werner Runge the Attending Veterinarian to complete the test of the herd conducted January 28 to 31, 1915. All of these 8 animals were found tuberculosis free.

In meeting this problem, the Commission felt that it had to protect a large business, to safeguard the public, to maintain the integrity and good faith of the Commission, to protect the term "Certified" and to uphold the system, and the 63 other Commissions representing the cause. The Commission met the problem loyally and courageously and we believe that it has been met successfully.

It is with much pleasure that we announce the appointment during the year of the following experts to the Commission, Dr. Louis A. Klein of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, as Consulting Veterinarian, Dr. V. G. Kimball, Assistant Professor Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Veterinarian, Willis Clarke Noble, Jr., Ph. D., University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College, Bacteriologist, Dr. Frank Wilcox Pinneo, Assistant Attending Physician, Dr. G. B. Verbeck, Assistant Attending Physician, and Dr. Paul Runge, Assistant Attending Veterinarian. We regret the loss by resignation during the year of Dr. Martin J. Synnott, Dr. H. B. Whitehorne and Dr. Leslie C. Love.

As Dr. Coit, the founder of the Medical Milk Commission movement has so forcibly said, "Certified Milk is a professional ideal. It was conceived in the physician's need, it was designed primarily for the physician's use and it can be realized only through the initiative and intensive labors of the physician, who through his clinical experience determines what its requirements and standards must be, how these relate to its production and on what scientific lines they may be fulfilled."

In closing the members of the Commission desire to again express their obligation to the several experts of the Commission to the United States Bureau of Animal Industry, to the Board of Veterinary Experts and their assistants and to Dr. Rowland G. Freeman, Dr. William H. Park, Dr. Royal Storrs Haines and Dr. Walter Lester Carr for invaluable suggestions and services rendered during the year and to record their appreciation of the loyal and hearty cooperation of Mr. S. Francisco and his assistants, Mr. Wellington P. Francisco and Mr. Reuben Francisco of the executive staff and Mr. Stephen Francisco, Jr., in the field, who have met cheerfully and completely every wish and requirement of the Commission in its efforts to solve the many and trying problems with which it found itself confronted during the past year.

FLOY MCEWEN, Secretary.

President McCleave: Dr. Thomas, will you report for the Cleveland Commission, please?

The Report of the

Milk Commission of the City of Cleveland

By Dr. J. J. Thomas, Chairman

The chief problems that have confronted this Commission during the past year have been: (1) Tuberculosis in the herd. (2) Mastitis in the herd. (3) Transportation difficulties.

(1) Tuberculosis. As revealed by the tuberculin test it has never been possible for us to have a tuberculosis-free herd. The annual test has always shown from 1 to 3% of reactors notwithstanding careful testing and retesting of all animals added to the herd. One year this percentage of reactors at the annual test rose to 10%.

These results were obtained with commercial tuberculin all tests being conducted by our Veterinarian, Dr. Samuel Burrows.

Recently, our producers—the Belle-Vernon Co. wishing to avail themselves of the reimbursements offered by the State for cattle reacting to tuberculin when government tuberculin was used and the tests made under State supervision, requested that we sanction this change. This request was granted at once by our Commission and the Commission's Veterinarian asked to be present and if necessary cooperate with the State officials during the test. The test completed a few weeks ago resulted as follows:

Of the 188 animals inoculated, 18 reacted positively and 7 others were considered "Suspicious."

These 25 cows were at once removed from the herd and slaughtered. Post mortem, (a) 5 cows that had reacted in a characteristic manner revealed no demonstrable lesions. (b) On the other hand, the 7 cows considered "Suspicious" were found to have demonstrable lesions. (c) 3 cows were quite extensively diseased ("Tanked"). (d) The balance, 10 cows, all showed slight lesions (glandular).

Mastitis-like tuberculosis, the presence of gargety milk is an ever present possibility in the Certified herd and the importance of detecting this source of contamination early is selfevident especially when we consider that there may be no visible signs of this disease from inspection and palpation of the udder. A practical and efficient method of detecting gargety milk is to examine a specimen of the foremilk from each quarter, milking

directly into test tubes. A very slight difference in the color will be revealed instantly and other abnormal characteristics may be noted without much difficulty.

We have recently during a period of 5 weeks by this test detected 15 cows giving gargety milk out of a herd of 130 milkers.

The fine wire-mesh strainers are of little or no use to detect abnormal milk unless it be quite thick and we have discarded them altogether after trying them out for about a year.

In the meantime, until all evidence of contamination has been found, this Commission has recommended that all Certified Milk produced by this herd be pasteurized.

Transportation difficulties:-During the hottest weather of last summer viz: June, July, August and September the portion of our milk from the Certified herd used for modified milk which is shipped in bulk direct to the W. G. Laboratory and which we designated as "bulk certified," was found to have considerably higher counts then the bottled certified. The main cause of these high counts, the first noted in over a year, was undoubtedly inefficient cooling in transit due to carelessness of employees in not jacketing the ten gallon cans in which this milk is shipped. A contributing cause of these high counts, however, in the last month mentioned was undoubtedly due to mastitis, 3 cows being found giving gargety milk.

An attempt was made to keep milk cans in transit cool by placing them in wooden boxes filled with ice but had to be given up owing to complaint of the Traction Company that the floors of the cars were constantly wet.

This year the jacketing of all cans will be rigidly enforced and better facilities at the new distributing plant of the BelleVernon Co. will undoubtedly enable us to make a better showing. At this writing facilities for pasteurizing Certified Milk as an emergency measure, at the farm is underway and will be completed within two or three days.