Tuberculosis in Milk.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 8, 9 July 1896, Page 2

Tuberculosis in Milk.

o A few days ago we gave a synopsis of an important lecture delivered recently in Glasgow by Dr Chalmers, Assistant Medical Health Officer, on " The present position of the milk supply in relation to tuberculosis." An interesting discussion followed the lecture. All the speakers but one maintained that tuberculosis was contagious. One of these, Mr Spier, advised eyery farmer to get his stock tested, and rid himself of the infected animals. A lady, Dr Gilchrist, urged the necessity of having a milk supply absolutely free from tuberculous bacilli. One gentleman contended that tuberculosis could not be communicated from animals to men, and be asserted that while ill he had been supported for several weeks on milk given by a cow which had shortly afterwards died of the disease. This waa five years ago, and he waa quite willing to be examined by a medical man in order to ascertain whether there were any traces of tuberculosis in his system. This gentleman's contention that the disease was not communicable from animals to man was questioned by Mr Stirling, a wellknown dairyman, who advocated the sterilisation of milk as the only way of making it perfectly innocuous.