TUBERCULOSIS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 133, 3 July 1909, Page 6

TUBERCULOSIS

THE LATEST DOCTRINE. PURELY INFECTIOUS. THE DANGER IN TUBERCULAR MILK. It is interesting in view, of the prominence given at the National Dairy Show Conference to pasteurisation as a means of preventing the spread of tuberculosis to consider the opinions on the subject of the leading Home authorities. In the first place, we may certainly take with confidence the latest pronouncement of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis. The Commissioners have stated: "Tho/e can be no doubt that in a certain number of cases the tuberculosis occurring in the human subject, especially in children, is the direct result of bovine tuberculosis, and there can also be no doubt that in the majority at least of these cases the bacillus is introduced through cow's milk. Cow's milk containing bovine tubercle bacilli is clearly a cause of tuberculosis, and of fatal tuberculosis in man." There is no mincing of words here. Evidently Koch has no 3 adherent in the 'body of scientific investigators who constitute the Commission.

A DISEASE OF THE COW. Recently, in the beginning of last month, this important subject was dealt with in an exhaustive manner at the Roval Sanitary Institute, Birmingham, by* Mr. J. Malcolm, Veterinary Superintendent to the Birmingham Corporation. At the outset this authority states that figures went to support the belief that tuberculosis was mainly a disease of the dairy cow. It was' five times more common in cows than in bulls, and fifteen times more common than in oxen or heifers. No one now questioned that Tuberculosis was simply and solely a contagious disease, and not an hereditary condition in any sense of the word, as formerly was generally believed. Most j calves' were born quite free from the disease.

NO MEASURE TOTALLY EFFECTIVE. As to methods of eradication, this authority contends that all would subscribe to the contention that the problem could only be dealt with satisfactorily by State measures universally applied. He actually contends Hint not only should all cows be tested with tuberculin, but that the testing should be bi-monthly. But even (hen —provided those reacting were segregated or destroyed if badly affected—"no nica sure restricted to dairy herds will ever eradicate tuberculosis in dairy herds generally or eliminate infection in milk, although a measure so restricted would undoubtedly considerably ameliorate the 1 present state of things."

PASTEURISATION IMPERATIVE. This Home opinoin clearly indicates that where the pooling of milk for manufacturing purposes is in vogue, as with us. all possible means should bo taken to render the milk innocuous before being used as food for man oi beast, either in the form of butter fol the former or as skim-milk or whey fol the latter. In fact, these latest opinions on the subject are the strongest proofs we can have of the need for pasteurisation, and, if need bo, compulsory pasteurisation at that.—Wellington Times.