The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-03-30


rot Due to conl.aell,e.,t, as Generally SUI
posed 1nreeted by Man
Owing to the large mortality
among monkeys due to phthisis, 1t
is well known that, so far as lung
troubles are concerned, these ami
mails are much Ike human beings
1t is the general belief, however,
that the disease is contracted by
confinement and unnatural condi-
dons.
DR.. Hubbard Windsor Mitchell re-
Gently prepared a paper on phthisie
as il affected the wild balloons of
west Africa and some of our domes-
tic animals OF his African expe-
rienee Or. Mitchell says.
Some years ago, while was vis-
ting west Africa 1 spent consider
able time on the Kongo river, and
in the wild and unknown regions
bordering the south bank of that
great stream saw large numbers
of balloons.
On several occasions, while we
were hunting for deer and other
game, a groupof balloons would be
seen lowering over one of their.
numb er who appeared to be unable
to move It was easy to approach
him, as he MAS too feeble to escape.
His companions scampered away
and watched me at short distance,
with amusing curiosity. Inquiring
of the natives what the trouble was,
I found that the balloons were FREE
quently taken III with some chest
trouble which was similar to that
from which the natives themselves
Suffered. This learned afterward
was phthisis, which is not uncomz
mon among the blacks in the lower
Kongo district.
In the Mild and almost uninhab-
tied country about $50 miles north
of Cape Town. in South Africa. the
common balloon is very numerous.
An English officer who lived in that
region told me thenatives frequent
ly contracted phthisis on their visits
to Cape Town, and it seemed proba-
BILE that the sputum of this people,
being carelessly voided in their gar
dens and about their houses, was
communicated to the baboons In
some of their marauding expedi-
lions. 1t was not an uncommon
sight TO see a sick baboon present
ing the same symptoms as the ma
tives when suffering from phthisis.
II soon had an opportunity to
verify this fact. One day, while
hunting in tho adjacent hills, I came
across a baboon lying on the ground
who was extremely emaciated and
had severe and violent cough. At
that time the existence of the tuber-
Gle bacillus was not known, but j
felt sure that the animal was suffer-
ing from pulmonary tuberculosis. !"
DR. Mitchell adds some OF. the re-
suits of his Investigations among
our domestic animals and those used
for food. He says:
The common OK is frequently
afflicted with pulmonary tubercu-
losis; so much so, in fact, as to
make necessary rigid surveillance
of our great abattoirs by competent
and authorized inspectors. Undoubt-
eddy these animals contract the dis
ease from their long andclose prox-
unity to man.
The dog and the cat are both ex-
tremely liable TO pulmonary tuber-
oulosis, and this would seem almost
a foregone fact from their intimate
association with man.
The duck, the goose and the do
mestic fowl rarely, but occasionally,
contract this disease. 1t is not im-
probable that other animals fall vie
tins to tuberculosis, but they do not
specially interest us. 1t is those ami
mails with which we deal daily, and
whose flesh and milk we consume as
articles of food, that interest us
most closely.