Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-24
DR.. W. Il. Harbaush Tells Of The PrtYa-
Iencs Of Tuberculosis in Virginia
MAY BE TAKEN FROM ANIMALS
IL IL Urgently Necessary That Rene
dial Laws be Enacted to Stop the
Spread of the Insidious Germs
Other Countries Contrastcd.


cussed the disease In its every phase.
In the consideration OF animal iuber-
culosis in relation TO the public health"
said he, zone should be neither conserva-
tive nor exaggerative. as the ascertained
truths are so abundant that IL is only
necessary 20 use facts In the discussion
OF the question for the enlightenment OF
those who have neither time nor oppor-
tunity 10 investigate cor themselves
IN 1852 the brilliant Robert Koch i'm
mortalized his name By the discovery OF
the tubercle bacillus. the one and only
cause Of tuberculosis in all animals. no
matter in what form the disease mani
tests ITSELF Since then thousands Of posi-
tive experiments have conclusively con-
hrmed Koch's discovery, and denlonstra-
ted the intercommunicabil!ty OF the dis
ease between animals Of the same and
| different species
1.-THE great amount Of knowledge we
possess relating 10 this disease IS not the
result OF the studies OF a few workers
| the foremost scientists Of all nations have
/ added their quota, and each one has an
| nounced a fact, probably startling at first,
| but afterwards confirmed by many others,
! and 10 can be truthfully said that no other
disease has ever received the attention
that is now given TO tuberculosis by the
| advanced scientists Of the medical and
| veterinary professions.
MAN AND BEAST SUSCEPTIBLE.
Mankind and tne bovine species are
| the special marks for tuberculosis. and
| the relation OF the disease between these
two species f. closely studied on account
OF the great quantity OF food products Of
man obtained from the bovine race. and
the result OF all the experiments and in
! vestigations Is the opinion universally ex-
| pressed by those who best know the facts
that products from tuberculous animals
are dangerous as human food.
1T is obvious that no one can estimate
the percentage OF human beings infected
with various forms OF tuberculosis BY
eating or drinking foods derived from the
| lower animals. but as Il is an established
| fact that consumption and other forms Of
| tuberculosis are contracted by inhaling or
| swallowing the tubercule b7cili. II is
therefore evident that there is always a
| risk in food products derived from tuber-
| culous animals.
However from n humane standpoint,
Il makes no difference how small the per-
| centage may be. the life OF one child
IS OF more consequence than the value OF
the finest herd OF cattle in existence.
when the public buys meat and milk.
the public expects pure articles for its
| money and ii is the duty of the au-
thorities TO see that the public gets pure
articles. Now II has been demonstrated
| In no uncertain way that q large per-
| centage OF our dairy COWS are affected
with a dreaded disease, common TO them
| and 10 mankind, and even II there ex-
listed no risk OF human infection from
this source. II certainly cannot be said
that milk and meats from tuberculous
animals are pure articles of food for
| human beings.
| This disease amongst the cattle In this
vicinity is by no means a recent dis
covery; for the past ten years l have re-
| peateoly called attention TO its prevalence
but the interested persons always
cried it down with one assertion or an
other. including a total denial Of its
! existence here. Previous 10 a few
months ago nothing could be done in the
way Of legally checking it: but now that
there is a law on the subject some
thing will be done that will erectually
show the consumers Of meat and milk
the condition Of a great number OF the
animals which help TO supply this mar
ket with these products.
THE MILK SUPPLY.
First. and most important. OF the
questions involved. is the milk supply;
and. happily, II Is the easiest to settle.
1t Is only necessary for the Council to
pass an ordinance empowering the Board
OF Health 10 establish rules and regula-
tons in regard to all mil, sold within
the city limits. and TO appoint q com
petent veterinarian as the official dairy
inspector TO examine properly all cows
the milk from which IS to be sold IN this
city; and, also, TO enforce proper sani
tary conditions in the cows tables anc
diaries.
Under present conditions the question
Of meat inspection cannot be properly
dealt with. There are over fifty slaugh
, ter-housas where the meat is prepared
, for this market, and a. nearly all IN,
animals are killed at about the same tin'
, each day 1t would be impossible for al
inspector 10 see but few Of them, eithe
before or during the k'fling and prepare
, | tion OF the carcasses. Union stock-yards
with IN sbattoir attached, where all ami
mails for this market should be slaugh
/ tered, would make meat-inspectiOn sim
pie. practicable. and efficient.
without endeayoring 20 show how
large or how small percentage OF man.
kind contracts the disease. either directly
or indirectly as a result Of tuberculosis II
the bovine species few Of the many
interesting facts may be quoted:
In Australia and the Sandwich Island.
culosis till after dairy cattle were
introduced into these countries.
In Morocco, where there are no dairy
COWS. there IS no tuberculosis among N,
people, but in Spain and Portugal. wher.
dairying is carried on the same as il
other parts OF Europe. consumption AM
other forms OF tuberculosis ar,
prevalent. The same exemption from
tuberculosis OF the people is said TO hol,
;, good in all countries where animals othe
than cows are used for dairying purposes
"Our Northwestern Indians were at on
time supplied with the worst beeves tina
could be bought for the least money
some OF them had even died with tn
disease amongst human beings are respon
and as a result at many places the NOR
. tally from tuberculous diseases reaches
90 per cent. OF all deaths.
Il do not wish TO intimate that bovin
tuberculosis IS responsible for all human
tuberculosis; on the contrary, I am salts
fed that the other means OF spreading tn
q, disease amongst human being are respon
u sible for much the greater percentage
but so long as there is even a possibilit.
Il OF preventing one small part OF the grea
n number OF human lives sacrificed by thi
= disease daily. we should not be doing on
e duty II we neglected 20 call attention L
the very close relationship, so far a
e tuberculosis is concerned. that exists be
n tween man and COW.
d LAWS MUST BE ENACTED.
= people may fight against laws that ar
made 10 check the march OF bovin
e tuberculosis, as people fought agains
= smallpox vaccination and all other ad
vances in human progress. but the fign
/ WIFI be IN vain. Human health and huma
wealth demand that this disease must b