Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-12

cot course" said DR.. Leaning. in
conclusion, cit is necessary 10 try and
get the best of good milk and fresh
meat, but not simply to avoid contagious
diseases"
"But you believe that bad drainage
will have dangerous effect upon meat ?"
"Certa'nly, there is great danger from
gases which breed typhoid diseases, for
instance. but not tuberculosis.
VIEWS OF THE CATTLE CHIEF.
Professor James Law, of Cornell Uni
versty, chief Of the Bureau of Animal
Industry, having control Of the cattle IN
spection in this State, was next asked 10
give his opinion OF the congress.
"What is the value OF the work OF the
International Congress in regard to tu-
bercuosis ?"
1.-THE value of tho work now being
conducted on this subject cannot be over
estimated. The public have no idea OF
the overwhelming importance Of the
subject A case OF yellow-feveror small
pox occurs, and instantly there is a call
Tor seclusion, quarantine. and all posi-
be sanitary safeguards, while in every
street. in every tenement-hOuse, aud III
nearly every stable We find the victims
of this contagion which is Staying our
population 10y the tens and hundreds of
thousands yearly"
Then You have no doubt that the
disease IS contagious
"NOne whatever. In cattle | have
seen the introduction of tuberculosis
animal infect n whole herd OF sixty
head in few years. The many and
varied experiments of Gerlach and others
showing the communication OF the
disease from animal to animal
by the use of the diseased
meat and milk, the direct expert
ments Of Villimin and his followers IN
the production Of the disease by inocu-
lation, and the culture experiments Of
Koch and his successors. III which the
bacillus WAS grown on pieces OF bread,
potato, &c, and transferred from these
TO the animal system, leave nothing to be
desired in Inc way OF proof.
Experiments aiming at transferring
the malady from animal to man arc in
admissible. Yet accidental conveyance
of tho disease il this way is not uncom-
mon. | have on one occasion found n
tuberculosis family in Brooklyn living
largely on the milk OF their tuberculosis
COW. In another case an invalid lady
began to improve and gain in strength
when she gave up using the milk Of o
tuberculous COW, and perhaps the most
striking case in my experience, in
large public institution, where
moro than half the dairy cows
were tuberculous. A much larger pro-
portion of the human inmates were found
TO be the victims Of this disease than in
other similar institutions elsewhere. The
pigs kept at the institution were fed on
the offal of the COWS when slaughtered,
and like the cows were in large proper
ton tuberculous.
"Do you consider the COW moro sub
iect to tuberculosis and therefore more
dangerous to humanity than are other
domestic animals ?"
1.-THE cow has certainly an unenviable
reputation in this respect tuberculosis
prevails largely in countries whore cat
tic are abundant in all tho agricultural
countries of Central and Southern
Europe, in Algiers. Australia, Tasmania,
New Zealand, tho United States, Canada,
and the Pampas, whereas it is compara-
lively rare in the Hebrides, Iceland, aud
the northern parts Of Norway, Sweden,
Lapland, and Finland. 1t has been al
legged that hot climates are especially ia
vorable to its development, and doubt
less this is true, but it is quite az certain
that the countries named, whether hot
or cold, are prominently cattle coun-
tries, while in those which are compare
lively exempt cattle are comparatively
rare.
INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY.
"The special susceptibility OF cattle
may be variously accounted for
Il. Cows being kept for dairy pur-
poses are brought into closer contact
with man, and II the latter is tubercu-
lous he is more liable to convey the dis
ease to them through his expectoration.
"2. Tho fact that dairy cows are
kept more indoors than other domestic
animals and breathe the same air repeat
edly contributes to the propagation Of
tho disease as well as 10 the susceptibility
OF the animal.
"3. Stalled cattle drop their saliva
and expectorstion into the manger,
where il is taken up by themselves or
others later.
"a. Dairy cows are usually fed in q
manner 10 solicit the largest possible
yield OF milk. and this with little con-