The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-24
DR.. KOCH'S NEW THEORY.
The Transmission of Tuberculosis
Discussed with Interest.

PHILADELPHIA. July 4-Consider-
able interest has been awakened among
members of the medical profession in this
city by the cablesrar1 from London where
the British Congress on tuberculosis is
row in session, attributiug to Prof Koch
OF Berlin. the announcement that bovine
tuberculosis is not transmittable to the
human system. and stating that the IA
nous haCtcrIoloEist had demonstrated
that milk from tuberCuious cattle might
be consumed with absolute impunity.
DR. Lawrence +. Flick, ex-President of
the Pennsylvania Society for the Proven
ton Of tuberculosis and President of the
Free Hospital for Poor Cousumptives,
when asked for his views on the subject
said:
The discovery o. Ut. Koch. If he is
able scientifically 10 -s-Ibstantiate it, will
put to end 4 contr~-ersE which has long
been carried on i'm the medical profession,
and for good AMI for all settle mooted
question which is Of the very greatest i'm
portauce to the human race For many
years there have been two important
views held IN the profession on the sub
ject of what danger there Is of contract
ing tuberculosis from drinking milk and
eating meat At one extreme men held
;
contracted from drinking milk or eating
meat that was the product Of tubercuIous
cattle; at the other end were men who
held that there was really no danger
from such sources. My own opinion has
always been that danger Of contracting
tuberculosis from milk and meat Of tuber-
cuIosis cattle. whilst IT existed theoretic-
ally, amounted to nothing practically
Although I have for years sought for
cases which unmistaka bly, could be trac-
ed to contaminated milk and meat. have
never found one On the other hand l
have seldom failed in connecting cases of
tuberculosis with their source Of origin
in family relationship with other cases,
contaminated rooms or houses, OF init
mate association with another case in the
workshop, store, factory or office To my
mind, these various sou cts practically
cover the new implantatious Of tuberCulo-
sis. and for practical pUrposes-that is fo-
prevention Of the spread of the disease
we need look no further 1t has been
demonstrated that tuberculosis can be
conveyed from human beings TO animals
and my own opinion IS that the greater
number of eases in animals are contract
I'd from human beings.
The greatest benefit that VIII accrue
from Dr. Koch's demonstration, If he has
demonstrated what has been announced,
VIII be the direction of preventive meas
ures along the right channels The Gov
eminent in this country has expended
much money and energy for the extermi-
nation of tuberculosis among cattle, with
a view OF preventing the spread Of the
disease in human beings. but mas done
very little toward preventing the spread
Of the disease from human being TO hu-
man being
With clear demonstration that the
disease cannot be spread from animals to
human beings, it Is likely that Govern
ment effort viii be turned into the chan
neis Of providing sanatoTIUm treatment
for the cousumptive poor, which WIZ
strike at the very root Of the evil by pre-
venting contact between the sick tuber-
cJIlar subject and his healthy relatives
arc bound to arise If every poor con-
sumptive could be removed from his home
into sanatoriUm before his case has ad-
vanced to the contagious stage, nc new
cases in his family could arise As mat
teTs stand now, when a case Of tubsrcu-
lOsis occurs IN Il family among the very
poor, it is followed by other cases at in
tervaIs Of one OF two years. until the
family has been practically wiped out It
is for the alienation of these poor people
that Government money and energy
might best be expended. nd If Dr.. Koch 5
ne" discovery VIII turn the money ana
energy OF Governments into this channel.
he VIII have conferred even q greater
beneft upon the human race than when
ne discovered the tubrrcle bacillus