The record-union., 1891-07-07
BOIL YOUR MILK.
Scientific Discoveries That Are of
Vital Importance.
Valuable Information Evolved From
the Late Seance of the French
Academy of Medicine-Be Wise In
Time.

Time.
AT late seance of the Academy of
Medicine, Paris, NJ. Olivier drew attention
of members to the risk incurred in using
cows milk. The following resume of
this interesting paper we condense from
the New York Herald, and which will,
without doubt, be useful TO the people in
general by enabling them to steer clear Of
a danger to which they are exposed every
day and in every land. The substance of
NJ. Olivier's paper is about the follow
ing:
Two Of my confreres did me the honor
to call me to Chartres to see case of tu-
bercular meningitis in young woman
twenty years of age, who, / regret to say,
died a few hours later. On inquiry [
1ound that her parents were healthy in
every respect. and that the girl herself
had never shown any signs Of disease be-
yond few symptoms Of chloroan;enlia.
Nothing in her hereditary or personal
antecedents could be found to explain
the origin of the complaint, and the hy-
SlenIc conditions with which she was
surrounded Were irreproachable. one
very important point drew our attention,
hOWever-the patient had been educated
III boarding school in Chartres in which
thirteen scholars had been striked sue
cessively or simultaneously with tuber-
culosis during the preceding four years,
and this was evidently where she had
caught the disease.
Researches were instituted to find out
the reason for this succession of cases,
and some information derived from the
slaughter house at Chartres placed the
matter III most interesting light. On
that day the veterinary inspector had had
occasion To forbid the sale OF COW nine
or ten years CID, which seemed to be i'll
go0d condition and which had been
killed that morning. 1t was found that
| tuberculosis had invaded this animal
through and through in all its viscera
Now this cow had been brought every
day to the convent to be MIXED, and this
milk had been used by the inmates.
y report OF this epidemic was sent by
NJ. Boutet, Mayor of Chartres, to the Pre-
feet of Eure- e-et-Loir department. This
report specifies that the cows udder was
completely tubercular
we know what has already happened
but we do not know what may still occur
VIII the youngg girl with tubercularm
gifts be the last victim? There is terrible
uncertainty about this matter. as there is
no doubt but that other children con-
Sumed the bacilli as Well-those who
have already fallen victims to them. Let
us hope that their systems viii prove re-
fractory
''Hygienists can bat draw the follow
ing conclusion from these facts and re-
peat II increasingly: Milk must always
be boiled; it is impossible to be sure that
it does not contain baclli. even when
there is every reason for thinking that it's
quality is excellent"
This paper gave rise to discussion, in
which several members of the academy
took part, and during which was heard
related the following case, which gives
still greater force TO NJ. Olivier's conclu-
sions. The following is resume of what
NJ. Nocard has to say:
''When the discussion as to the trans
missibility of tuberculosis was going on /
mentioned five or six cases bearing on
this question. 1t will not be necessary
for me to repeat them, but 1 concluded
as follows: All milk coming from an
unknown source should be boiled before
being used. To-day, however, 1 will
change my formula and say that milk
must always be boiled, no matter where
it comes from, and for the following rea-
son:
"A well-known cattle-raiser sent me
short time ago the iymphatic glands of
very fine calf which had seemed to be per-
fectly healthy. On examining them.
however, they were found to be abso-
lutely filled with tubercles. Now, this calf
had had nothing to eat but its mothers
milk, water and cornmeai. l there
fore decided that its mother must be in
fected. L wrote TO request that at her
death her udder should be sent to me,
This was done, and l found it completely
tuberculous.
The cow was magnificent animal.
raised Oh the premises, and of which the
owners were very proud. She had
gained several prizes at shows, and her
health seemed irreproachable. Ifa friend
Of this man had come with his children
to spend few days at his place he would
have given them this milk as the best he
had, and not boiled-it would have been
nassacrel 1t is quite possible that all
of these children would have been affected
with tuberculosis.
1T is therefore plain that we must not
trust too much to the apparent good CON
dition of health of COWS, and nowadays
our formula must read as follows: Mover
drink any milk without first boiling it,
These facts need no commentary, and
this practical advice should be followed
by every mother in the future
Il has long been known that fatigue
and oYerwork have a marked influence
on the outbreak of epidemics, but whereas
some considered that these two factors
have direct action on their appearance,
others again thought that they only less
ened the resistance of individuals and IA
Vored in this way the action of morbid
germs. Some ingenious and conclusive
experiments, which were laid before the
Society of Biology of Paris few months
ago have placed the latter hypothesis on
a solid basis"
The practically of the above from a
hygienic standpoint is, know that your
cows are healthy before you use the milk
unboiled. Why unboiled? The heat of
2l2' fahrnheit Will kill all living germs.