Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-25
CONSUMPTION'S CAUSE.
Result of the Work of the University's
Veterinary DepaFtment-The Disease
Communicated to Human Systems by

Communicated to Human Systems by
Tuberculosis in the Cattle.
PHILADELPHIA Sept. A.-"Few scientists
now dispute that pulmonary phthisis, the
most dreadful soourge of the human race,
emanates from milch cattle, and Is dissent
mated almost solely by their agency through
the human family."
This broad assertion is made in the highly
interesting report of the commission to test
the value of Koch's lymph on cattle, as read
by DR.. W. L. Zuill at the meeting of the
Philadelphia Veterinary Medical Society
last evening. This commission was ap-
pointed by the Veterinary Department. of
the University of Pennsylvania early in
january last. All through the spring and
summer their experiments were carried on,
and the summary of their labors, as made
public for the first time last evening, makes
an important and most interesting epoch in
the study of all that relates to the most fatal
of ordinary diseases.
Briefly summarized. the commission finds
that as a curative of tubercular diseases the
lymph is absolutely useless. But it also
finds that for the purpose of diagnosing the
disease and determining whether or not
cattle are suffering from tuberculosis the
lymph is of great and positive value.
1t was to the latter discovery that the COM
mission chiefly directed its investigation. 1t
pose of determining the diagnostic and ther-
apeutic value of the lymph, and conducted
its experiments chiefly TO that end. They
find that the lymph reacts best in strong
and vigorous animals well advanced in the
disease. In the early stages it will produce
no reaction unless administered In large
doses. In healthy animals the lymph, ex-
cept in enormous doses, will produce no re-
action.
The scourge Emanates From Cattle.
= tl,ot, oNo1N
lish the diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle
will be hailed with delight by the veterinary
surgeons. 1t is admitted to be an impossi-
bility to make a diagnosis from clinic signs
alone, except when the disease has reached
such a stage that all diagnosis is useless and
death is near at hand. All prominent sur
geons now admit this.
eve all know" continued DR.. Zuill after
thus summarizing the objects and conclu-
sions arrived at by the commission, "that
the greatest scourge of the human race en-
anates from milch cattle and is spread by
them through the human family. 1t Is an
undisputed fact that tubercular diseases are
found among people that use the milk and
Hesh OF the bovine race, and that these dis
eases are not found among those people who
do not.
"Few men of science will now dispute that
pulmonary phthisis comes from cattle, and
that the only people who are free from it
are those who do not use the milk or flesh
OF the COW.
"The Khirgis who inhabit the steppes of
Asia, have no cattle. They drink tho milk
of mares and eat the flesh of sheep and
goats. Phthisis is absolutely unknown
among them.
"The Esquimaux, who reside in Greenland
and other Danish countries, have cattle, and
hardly anybody is more subject to consump-
tion, The Esquimaux, who drive their fleet
footed reindeer over the ice-covered plains
of Siberia, and to whom an OK or cow is an
IS PlpnhAnt Know
not what consumption is
'On the South coast of Africa ere tribes
vast herds of inbred cattle; who not only
drink the milk and eat the flesh, but suck
the blood from the jugular vein of living
bullocks. These people die like flies from
tuberculosis. One hundred miles inland on
the plateaus, where the deadly tZe-tZe fly
places an absolute bar to the existence of
cattle ofany kind there is no knowledge
that even one man ever died OF pulmonary
consumption or other tubercular disease.
The Remedy to Apply.
"With these facts before us, the conclusion
cannot be esca ped from that it is to the use
of the milk and flesh of cattle that the
human family owes the existence of con-
sumption among its members We do not
say that the milk and flesh must not be
used, for it has been demonstrated that un-
der proper conditions of cure and breeding
the disease can be eliminated from our
CduUle- we nSeu nOC cease 10 use OuT CauJle,
but we must abolish tuberculosis from
among them. This can only be done by de-
manding and obtaining from the National or
State Governments n proper, scientific and
non-politfcal inspection of our food. This
brings to mind the Importance OF an agency
that will bring to view every case of
tuberculosis in our CATTLE"
DR.. Zuill then read the portion of the re- :
port dealing in detail with the work of the
commission and the results obtained. They
had found that the lymph would not in every
case give the reaction. When the disease
large dose to produce the result. On the
other hand, an excessive dose administered
to a healthy animal might produce some re-
action even If it also caused death.
In their experiments they had suffered
from one serious drawback. They had no
fixed standard of strength of the solution of
extract, but at different times, and there
was every reason to believe that the lymph
lost its virtue with time. Until the active
principle OF the lymph could be isolated and
q known and fixed standard of strength Sc
cured there would always be some element
of uncertainty in the results obtained by the
most careful and elaborate system of expert
mentS.
Lymph Has No Curative Properties.
AS to curative properties they had found
that the lymph had absolutely none. This
was conclusively proved in one case where
a calf, well advanced with the disease, was
given injections of lymph every day for
three months The reaction at first was
marked and regular, but not the slightest
other physical sign was observed, nor was
the disease in any way cured or arrested.
The commission also found that the in
jections of the lymph did produce n rapid
spread and generalization of the disease. but
deplored the fact that the lymph obtained
from Koch had no known and constant
standard of strength.
Dr. Pierson, professor of practice in the
veterinary department, read brief paper
summarizing the results of similar investi-
cations and experiments made in Europe. |
In France, Germany and Sweden exhaustive |
and minute Investigations had been made, |
and the results in every case were precisely |
similar to the outcome of the University eX-
pertinent. They had all found that in ami |
mails affected with tuberculosis the injection |
of lymph was followed by the customary |
marked reactionary symptoms, while in |
healthy animals no reaction was observed. |
As a curative for the disease, however, all |
experiments pronounced the lymph of no |
value.
This was the first meeting of the society |
for the transaction of business since its or |
ganization in April last DR.. w. H. Ridge, |
Of Trevose, the President, occupied the |
chair. Dr. Zuill, who read the report of the |
commission, is the professor of surgery in !
the veterinary department of the Uni |
versity.
PAULINE's MADAME FAvART.