HUMAN AND ANIMAL TUBERCULOSIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 10 May 1907, Page 4

HUMAN AND ANIMAL TUBERCULOSIS.

Captain Young, Government Veterinarian. has forwarded to us a copy of the latest, issue of the ''Veterinary .Journal,' nil Anglo-American monthly review of veterinary science, and from it we take the following very interesting interim report of the ltoyal Commission on human and animal tuberculosis: "There can be no doubt but thai in • eertain number of cases the tuberculosis oceuring in the human subject, espeeiallv m children, is the direct result of the introduction into the human body of the bacillus of bovine tuberculosis; and there also can be no doubt that in the majority at least of these casese tl*« bacilus is introducd through cow's milk. Cow's milk containing bovine tubercle bacilli is clearly a cause of tuberculosis, and of fatal eulosis in man.

"Of the sixlj cases of human iuberculosis investigated by us, fourteen of the viruses belonged to Croup ]., that is to say, contained the bovine bacillus. If, instead of taking all these sixty wises, we confine ourselves to cases of tuberculosis in which the bacilla was apparently introduced into the body by way of the alimentary canal, the proportion of Croup F. becomes much larger. Of the total sixty cases investigated by us, twenty-eight possessed clinical histories indicating that the bacillus was iutrobuced through the alimentary canal. Of these thirteen belong iu Croup I. Of the nine cases in which cervical glands were studied by us, three, and of the nineteen cases ill which the lesions of the abdominal tuberculosis were studied by us, ten belong to Oroup i.

'"These facts indicate that a very large proportion of tuberculosis contracted by ingestion is due to tubemile bacilli of bovine scource. "A very considerable amount of disease and- loss of life, especially among the young, must be attributed lo the consumption of milk containing tubercle bacilli. The presence of tubercle bacilli iu cows'milk can be detected, though with some diliiiulty. if the proper means lie adopted, and such milk nugh'. never to hi' used as food. There i< far Ir.-s dilliciilty in recognising clinicaly (hat a i'iiw is distinctly Mill'ering from tuberculosis. iu which c:im: she may b" yielding tuberculosis milk. The milk coming from such a cow ought no!, to lie used as loud at alt.

•'Omv ivsnHs cir uly point to tin- nv«-rs-sii y <»i" ni:'ii.sufr:s iiiuri' I!);isi' at present rnt'oivnl, ln*inu taken lo pii'vcni llu- sail! i'or jtti"»ii of sii' Ii milk."