Causes of Consumption

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1057, 3 August 1904, Page 2

Causes of Consumption

—* — Si'KAKiNo at a lecturo given under tho auspices ol tho Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Dr, Symes, ex, healih officer for Cnristchurch, declared that predisposition was as important as infection in spreading tuberculosis among cattle, and tho most predisposing causo was tho troatmont of calves, Tho young animals woro deprived of their natural food, and woro given nothing to replace the cream taken from tho milk. "It is simply absurd to talk about wholesale slaughter," ho said, '' If all the tubcrctw culosis cattle in New Zealand wero killod to-morrow there would bo just as much tuberculosis in tho colony 20 yoars hence as there is now. Tuberculosis is far mora widely distributed than is generally known, I havo conducted moro post mortem examinations probably than any other doctor in Chris'.church, and I havo nover yet examined tho body of an adult without finding traces of tuberculosis. Tho disoaso has usually been curod, but tho signs of its prcsonco at soma stttgo of lifo aro practically universal. I think that in many oases tho human body contains latentgermsof consumption which under ordinary conditions aro harmless, but which may be brought into aotivity by ill-health. Such a complaint as million* zft has a particular tendency to rouso tho latent gorms of consumption, bui if pooplo live healthy lives in well-ventilat-ed, well-drained houses thoy need havo no fear of dsveloping consumption."