The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-04
CONSUMPTION IN GERMS.
Experiments That Have Thrown Mucn
Light on an Important Question.

Experfments That Have Thrown Much
Light on an Important Question.
Dr. Samuel G. Dixon, professor OF
hygiene in the University Of Pennsyl-
vania, who has been conducting series
of experiments bearing upon consump-
ton and it's prevention, has reached
some interesting results which do much
to explain many mysterious phases OF
that insidious disease. tuberculosis,
as it is known, is not confined to man,
but is common among the lower animals,
the cow, horse, sheep, pig, rabbit and
chicken among others, and as these are
largely used for food by man, the doctors
experiments have been directed to as
certaining whether or not human beings
can contract consumption by partaking
of meat and animals suffering from
tuberculosis or of milk from COWS with
tuberculosis of the mammary glands.
The result of several hundred expert
ments conducted at the laboratory OF
the University of Pennsylvania leaves
no room for doubt that consumption can
be. and beyond question very often is,
contracted by eating tuberculous meats.
1t was found that calves and pigs fed on
milk infected with tuberculous material
from human source contracted con-
sumption, and the converse would seem
probable.
An especially interesting experiment
Of DR.. Dixon was upon dog. That an
imal has an acid gastric secretion even
| stronger than that of man, and for this
reason many psychologists have select
I'D him for crucial tests of the theory that
tuberculosis is intercommunicable be-
tween man and animals. Many attempts
to communicate consumption to dogs by
feeding them on tuberculOus food have
failed, but not satisfied with these, and
believing that with dogs as with men
some are disposed to consumption while
others escape it, the doctor pushed his
experiments in the hope that he would
| ind some of the animals in a physical
condition especially susceptible to
tuberculosis. Selecting a healthy dog
about five months old DR.. Dixon per-
mitted his stomach to become quite
empty and then gave him as his meal
some infected cows meat.
For several days the dogs diet was
partly made up of tubefculous meat
and in a short time he began to grow
thin and to present every physical APP
pearance of cOnsumptive, dying in a
few weeks. The post-mortem examina-
ton gave every Indication of tubercu-
losis, and the Biological tests clearly
demonstrated the presence of tubercle
bacilli in the messenteric glands.
Bymany experiments Of this kind hav-
ing satisfied himself that man can con-
tract consumption from eating tubercu'
ious meat and taking milk from cows
whose mammary glands are affected.
DR.. Dixon suggests that, in order to
prevent this contagiOn, veterinary in
spectors should be empowered to con-
denim all tuberculous meat. reasona-
BILE compensation being paid to the
owners of animals found in that condi-
ton; and they should visit all milk
lairies and condemn every cow found
suffering from tuberculosis, particularly
those with mammitis. AS stroug pre-
disposition to tuberculosis is transmits.
,ible to offspring, the breeding of tu-
berculous animals should be prohibited
Ill ~.