FIGHTING CONSUMPTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 184, 29 April 1908, Page 2

FIGHTING CONSUMPTION.

THE TUBERCULIN Y/EAPON. WHAT WOULD IT COST WELLINGTON? Mr. Cameron's remarks in The Dominion on . Monday as to the effectiveness of the tuberculin test in freeing milk from consumption germs have attracted some attention among those earnest people who are striving to protect the inlant population from the dangers of tuberculous milk. The question also has a tremendous interest for the dairy farmers, although, with compensation and milk prices fittingly increased, the elimination -of the tuberculous cows would perhaps be more welcomed' than resented. A Dominion representative asked a highlyskilled New Zealand' specialist, whose name would, give ample weight to his words, what ho thought of the suggested enforcement of the tuberculin test. _ , "It is good," lie replied. - "Would tho farmers like it?" Ho shrugged his shoulders. - "How many cows aro supplying the milk that tho Wellington people drink? " " Five thousand." "How many of them are tuberculous?" " Some people .say a thousand. I say five hundred.". "■. "They could be detected by tho tuberculin test?" "Easily." : _ >/ "Why isn't it done?" Again that expressive Bhrng of tho shoulders. "Don't ask me," . "Pasteurisation kills the germs •of consumption? " " X r es, if it is properly dqno. .The germs of tuberculosis (or consumption) remain dormant in ordinary milk, not increasing in numbers, but waiting ready to . when they get into the body of a human being or an animal. Pasteurisation kills them. But milk really ought not to bo pasteurised or cooked in any way. It is better ,to pasteurise milk than to drink it as.it is now, but what is really wanted is good, healthy milk that it is safe to drink raw." " It is said that only a small number of tuberculous cows give tuberculous milk?" . ■ "Show;me tha man who is clean. Show iue tho milker whose hands and clothes are aseptic, whoso cows and cans are. clean, whose stalls' arid floors are clean and 'disinfected, and J will say that .perhaps the milk from some tuberculous c6ws may sometimes bo free: from tuberculous" germs. The other day I watched a dairyman who believed his methods wero very clean. In some respects, he took what he considered to be the utmost care. • After a while he took off the lid of a milk can and placed it on t-ho floor, where it touched a mass of filth, every :drop of which contained several million germs. There is no safety in the existing way. _ . " Could "the tuberculin test be applied to all the cows, supplying"milk to Wellington? Could the veterinarian cope with the work? " : "It would not bo a great task.-. It could, be done quite easily." , .. ' „ • . "Then, for .tha destruction of the diseased cbws, what would be tho. cost—the compensation? " "Five hundred cows at £3 —£1500; That wbuld bo only 3s. for the head of each Wellington household to pay, to safeguard himself and every member of'his family against death' from consumption. Isn't. it worth it? But it won't, be done." ■ And again he shrugged, his shoulders, and made a gesture of despair.