The Yale expositor., 1895-04-19
MIX from Tuberculous Cows.

Some eight years ago the trustees
or the Massachusetts Society for Pro-
noting Agriculture established an ex-
pertinent station in Boston to study the
dangers to human life and health aris-
ing from the food products OF cattle.
The committee appointed by them has
published the results of series OF mi
croscopic examinations Of the milk
from tuberculous cows, the udders OF
which were apparently healthy, and or
foeding experiments with such milk.
The following is summary of conclu-
sions arrived at: Bovine tuberculosis
is quite a common disease, particularly
among the dairy herds of the east, and
the time is not far distant when action
must be taken to prevent its spread
among cattle, as well as to protect con-
sumers from the use Of tuberculous
beef and dairy products. While the
transmission Of tuberculosis by milk
Is probably not the most important
means by which the disease is propa-
gated II is something that should be
carefully guarded against. The posi-
bility OF milk from tuberculous udders
containing the infectious element is
undeniable. 1t is equally undeniable
that milk from diseased cows having
no appreciate lesion of the udder no
infrequently contains the bacillus of
the disease. Therefore all such milk
should be condemned and not allowed
to be used for human food.
The report contains mass of statis-
tics, including the results of examina-
tons of cattle in other countries, and
this important statement by the Off
cial inspector at the Brighton abattoir,
near Boston: Tuberculosis exists to
a much less extent among eastern
cattle than among animals in the popu-
lous centers of most European coun-
tries, md among western bullocks it
has almost no existence whatever, this
class of animals representing about
two-thirds of our cattle population. A
study w the ages of 1,125 tuberculous
cattle Killed at Munich (Bavaria) also
shows that the disease is more common
in COVE over 6 years old than in any
other CLASS Of neat stock. This is be-
lieved to be due to the fact that, living
longer, they have q longer time in
which 10 acquire the disease, that their
systems are depleted by giving i'm
mense quantities of milk, and that
their hygienic surroundings are gener-
ally bad, as they are kept in hot, bad
ly ventilated, crowded, and often dirty
stables, and deprived of the fresh air
and hcalthful exercise accorded to
other cattle. This is practically the
case with the cows kept in dairies sur
rounding large towns and cities, and 1t
is among them that tuberculosis causes
the greatest havoc, while the rest of the
bovine population Is comparatively
free from it."
The latter consideration may be COM
mended to attention by those who are
agitating the subject of swill feeding to
cattle in this state. 1t might be worth
while to inquire into the association
of swill feeding with close confinement,
of the animals, with especial reference
to the fact that the use of swill tends
to a concentration which otherwise
would not be deemed desirable, thus in
juriously affecting the health of the
milk-givinE cattle by shutting them
out from exercise, as we'll as by the
character Of the food. In the case OF
animals thus fed for the purpose of
fattening them and for the obtaining
of milk the quality OF the meat is like
ly to suffer from anything that would
cause deterioration In the character Of
the tactical supply.