Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-29


as consumption.
A long editorial appearing In another
column of the same paper says;
tuberculosis is a word that ia not found
even in the latest editions of Webster's
unabridged dictionary. The disease
among animals known by this name is
Identical with that so long known as con-
sumption in the human family; but that
it is contagious disease, which may be
communicated from animals 10 man,
has not been generally suspected
even by The medical profession till within
a comparatively recent period, and now
that its contagious nature is accepted,
much further Investigation is needed 10
determine exactly how and to what ex-
tent it is communicable under varying
circumstances and conditions Until
very recently il was not believed that
milk from a tuberculous COW could
be harmful, unless the disease
had extended to the udder;
butt IL the experiments made during
the past two years, under the auspices Of
the Massachusetts society for promoting
agriculture, have shown that the germs
of the disease are sometimes found in
milk drawn from presumably healthy
udders. This renders the subject still
more serious TO consumers of milk.
There is now no question but that the
flesh or milk of q tuberculous COW, If
taken without thorough cooking, may
carry the disease to such as partske of it.
DR.. Daniel d. Lee, instructor of anat-
omy in the veterinary department of
Harvard university, says: ''Ail vetsr-
inarians who have had the advan tage of
a modern education in their professions
are thoroughly convinced that tuber-
culosis is a contagious disease. They are
aware that the diseases can be produced
by the inocculation of milk, of muscle
juice or tuberculous products from ami
mails suffering the disease, and also that
it is transmitted from animal to animal.
Many veterinarians insist on
the slaughter of suspected animals, and
Ut the same time forbid the use of their
milk or meat for food. Infection can
undoubtedly be produced by constantly
feeding animals with tuberculous milk or
meat. -
Here, then, appears the first inkling of
an explanation OF the cause of consump-
ton in man. 1t is a bovine disease con-
tracted by man through his use of bovine
products. We have no scientific reports
from other sections of the,North, but if
those Massachusetts, reports can be re-
lied on land we suppose they can ) it is
but reasonable to suppose that in all re-
gions where consumption prevails, the
cattle are infected by tuberculosis the
same as they are in Massachusetts. Con-
sumption is not a disease of the South,
bence, while no special Investigations
have been made here. the inference must
be accepted that our cattle have no
tuberculosis. II they were infected the
kTxo N
have consumption the same as the people
have there. True, we do have case of
consumption now and then, but these
cases are so rare that one finds nothing
in the way of a reasonable presumption
that they were originally contracted in
some other section of the country.
This remarkable stirring of things
about Boston must promptly lead TO in
vestigation in all parts of the country.
How this investigation will pan out must
be clear in the mind of every scientist,
and what will eventually come of il must
be also clear. 1t Will lead to the pretty
general taboo of Northern beef, at least.
The people will look to the Southern
states for their supply, and all who I'M
derstand the beef producing capabilities
of Texas Will not be in the least at loss
to understand what that will mean.
Texas will produce at least seventy-five
per cent. of all the beef consumed in
the Northern states, not through the
shipment of cattle, as at present, but by
shipping the dressed product in refrIg-
orators. A dead animal on ice could not
contract consumption, hence not many
decades will have elapsed ere the people
up there will take their beef in no other
shape. While we regard this new discov-
cry as noble thing for the afflicted
North, we must also regard it as the
very best work that science has yet done
for Texas.