New-York tribune., 1895-10-20
KNOWLEDGE or TUBERCULOSIS

The recent report Of the Royal Commission on
Tuberculosis has attracted much attention In
Great Britain. both professional and lay, and
promises 10 effect some novel and important
legislative action at Westminster The subject
is OF at least equal interest here, though we are
not as far advanced in sanitary legislation as our
oversee kindred tuberculosis Is here as in most
civilized countries, the greatest Of all scourges
IT claims every year an army Of victims Were
An equal number swept off by any other plague.
such as typhoid or cholera, there would be uni
versal panic. But Its ravages are regarded "a
matter of course II is a disease that has existed
"a long as we have history, and men have come
to look upon 1t as inevitable Yet 1t Is as dis
tinctly and essentially preventabe and eradi-
cable as any Of dozen others that are now kept
well in check. In the last dozen years. since DR..
Koch, following the footsteps OF the illnstrious
Pasteur. made his memorable discovery Of the
bacillus tuberculosis, knowledge OF 1t has so ad-
vanced that it will be shame to science If 1t is
not soon brought to check and Its ravages CON
fined TO very small compass
Some Of the chief gains made in recent years
In knowledge OF this disease are admirably sum
married. by n medical writer In The London
Times" in the first place, he reminds u.s. 1t IS
known TO be a germ disease and therefore in
fectious or contagious, rather than hereditary.
All that is inherited in connection with 1t Is a
vulnerable condition. constitution susceptible
TO its attack Given that, and the frequent OPP
portunties OF Infection between parent and child,
and the origin Of sO-called ''inherited' cases Is
explained OF course experimental proof or this
is not readily to be obtained In respect to man.
But the character Of the disease In cattle is so
similar to that in man that we may safely judge
1t in the latter by what we find In the former
Now II is clearly proven that among cattle the
disease is seldom, II ever, inherited. 1t Is com
mon in cows bnt very rare In calves In the
slaughter houses OF Berlin. for example, In 1877
'93 more than Is In every 100 cows and oxen
killed were found to be tuberculous: but OF
calves only in 10000, and they were old enough
10 have acquired the disease since birth. The
importance OF this fact to cattle breeders Is OBJ
yious lis significance to the human race is great
beyond expression.
tuberculosis is transmitted, then. by infection
or contagion. This is largely through the dried
and pulyerized expectorations Of patlents-a sub
ject on which much Of importance Is TO be SAID
and done Probably 1t Is in part through exhala-
tons from their bodies. To considerable ex-
tent. however it Is through food and drink and
especially meat and milk, and that Is the phase OF
the case most dealt with by the Commission Tu-
berculous food was given TO pig. eight guinea
pigs and ten calves. and all but two guineapiss
and two calves contracted the disease 1t Is reck-
oned that Of beef cattle slaughtered In London
onesixth are more or less tuberculous. Concern
ing such the experts Of the Commission conclude
that the flesh OF no animal that suffered from
advanced or general tuberculosis can safely be
eaten though the sound portions OF carcasses
marked with incipient or localized tuberculosis
may, II proper care be exercised In selecting
them and sequesiratIng them from the diseased
parts In regard TO milk, 1t may be used safely
enough, provided the tuberculosis from which
the COW suffers has not extended TO the udder.
In the latter case the milk will probably con
tain germs Of disease. 1t In significantly added
that tuberculosis Ia very apt TO extend to the
udder. and to develop there with great raniditx.