The record-union., 1894-10-11
MILK And MEAT.
What the People are Eating and
Drinking.
Necessity for Laws That VIII Prevent
the Ravages of Tuber-
culosis.

EDS. RECORD UNION: I have of late
paid a great deal of attention to the
monthly reports of the death rate in this
State, issued by the Secretary of the State
Board of Health, and in these reports L
have noticed that large per cent. of
deaths are due to some form Of tuber-
culosis Consumption, in fact L might
say, drawing my conclusions from the
Secretary's reports, that at least 10 to II
per cent. OF all deaths in this State are
due to that disease. This is a deplorable
fact, but what makes it still more de-
plorable is that although the public are
pretty well acquainted with this terrible
disease, they have become so accustomed
to seeing their friends and relatives
dying from tuberculosis that they have
come to the conclusion that it is a neces-
sary evil. and they never give it a second
thought.
Now do not want to paint or depict
this subject in an exaggerated manner,
but 1 would like, If possible, to disabuse
the public mind of the idea that tuber-
culosis is a necessary evil IL is no more
necessary evil than smallpox, Asiatic
cholera, typhoid fever, etc., and we all
know that these diseases are preventable
We become greatly alarmed when we
receive tidings through the columns of
the press that Aslatic cholera exists in
some European country, or that a few
cases OF smallpox have been discovered
IN some remote part of the State, or that
few unfortunates in our own city die
from the ravages of typhoid tever, but
heretofore 1t has never occurred TO US
that tuberculosis destroys more human
lives annually than Asiatic cholera,
smallpox and typhoid fever com Oined,
but, as | have said before, the disease is
SO common and SO insiduous in its nature
that we pay little or no attention to it.
While attending the State Sanitary
Convention in San Jose last April heard
number of eminent sanitarians and
physicians ventllatlng their ideas and eX-
pressing their views as 10 the proper
methods of preventing the spread OF
tuberculosis in this State. While do not
want TO criticise the plans they recon-
mended to any great extent, still it seems
to me that they overlooked one of the
most important points in the prophylac-
tic (preventive) treatment OF tuberculo-
Sis. These scientists recommended that
great many restrictions be placed on hu-
man beings affected with tuberculosis,
which practically amounts to putting
them in quarantine and isolating them
from their friends. At the same time,
these men when speaking of or classify
ing the different media through which
and milk supply at the top of the list,
and proclaim them to be the most fre-
quent media through which the disease is
transmitted to the human being. They
also stated that of the three routes by
which the germ gains admission 10 the
human economy, the way by the ale
mentary tract is the most frequent. Not
WIthstandlng these statements, when
these gentlemen came to the considera-
lion OF prophylactIc measures, nothing
was said regarding the necessity OF TAX
ing active measures to stamp out and
eradicate the disease from the source OF
our meat ana milk supply.
Now we believe that restrictions should
De placed on consumDtive persons who
are dangerous to their fellow men, but is
It right TO quarantine and isolate an
affected person and permit member of
the bovine race, whose system is reeking
with the germs of tuberculosis to run at
large, so that the coming generation will
have the same opportunities of becoming
affected with this deadly disease, as we
have had?
do not wish to advance the idea that the
mi!ch cow is the author of all the tuber-
culosls that exists among our people to-
day, but think l would be safe in say
ing that they are responsible for a larger
per cent. OF 1t than any other cause.
L think the physicians of this city will
bear me out in the statement that there
Is large increase of tuberculosis, more
especially an enteric form, IN children
under five years old. Why should there
be this increase? We know that the ques-
tion of congenital tuberculosis is dis
puted one, therefore we may safely say
that II there are cases Of congenital tuber-
culosis they are very rare. We can then
consider the only other probable cause,
viz, the food; aud when we know that
the majority of the rising generation are
brought upon on a bottle which is
oh .raAt IL
L say, knowing this state of affairs to
exist, Is IL not easy to understand the
reason OF the increase of tuberculosis in
children under five years of age?
IN this connection another question
may be asked. What is the reason that
more children die of tubercular LESSONS of
the digestive tract than adults? We
think the reason is, or should be obvious
to all, namely, that children'S diet con-
sists principally of milk, while adults,
comparatively speaking, consume very
little milk; and child's system is more
vulnerable and more adapted TO the de-
velopment of the germ of tuberculosis
than that of the adult.
Let us consider the danger of the milk
and meat of tuberculous animals as arti-
cleS of human food.
MILK.
Opinions regarding the danger of milk
from tuberculous animals are at the pres
be denied that tuberculosis of the cow is
of frequent occurrence, and that the
tubercle bacilH are present in the milk
Such milk invariably proves iniective
when susceptible animals are expert
mentally fed with it, and there is every
reason to believe that the result is the
same when it is unwttingly consumed
by human beings; this more especially
applies TO the case OF milk intended for
the nourishment OF inIants. Ashly and
Wright, in their work on the Diseases of
Children" tell US that 20 per cent. of the
children who die of tuberculosis give
evidence of the disease either in the lin
ing of the intestinal canal or in the glands
situated near the alimentary tract. Dr.
o. E. Shakespear (1fedicdE NelCS, March
Z6. 1892 attributes one-fifth of all deaths
in infants and young children, feeding on
milk, to tuberculosis, usually commencing
in some part of the digestive tract. These
children get tuberculosis through the in
testinal canal, through the milk, the great
uncooked food. Many people, and more
especially city people. have the idea that
the milk from single cow is preferable