The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-06-22
TRANSMISSION OF
Tubereulos

Ageatsdeai ofexcitementhas been;
caused, recently by Statements con-
cerning the dangers Of the transmits
sion OF tuberculosis from dairy cows
persons using the milk. Among
other valuable articles The Ohio
Farmer publishes an editorial article
upon this subject which we believe
will be of such interest TO our read
ers that we present it below:
This subject which has been troub-.
ling the medical profession for many
years. Ever since Vinemin, a French
demonstrated the infec-:
Of tuberculosis in the COS
the question of human infection from
animal sources has been receiving
constant attention. Some OF the fore
scientists Of the last half cen
Jury have devoted years to its study
and Investigation and it is indeed
have been obtained The investiSa-
ton has produced an abundance OF
information as to the nature. habits
n wide range OF infection Of the dis
ease but no positive evidence has yet
been produced that the disease is com
through natural or normal can
Direc. experiments to show whether
man can be infected with animal tu-
berculoSiS are for obvious reasons i'm
possible and the deductions from elm
ical observations are uncertain and
often misleading. Opinions must
therefore be based upon the general
knowledge of the behavior Of tuber-
Gle bacili as they are studied in
different conditionSs of environment.
Innumerable experiments have shown
that human bacilli viii infect other
cattle and even birds and fish. These
infections were all made by direct
incubation and not by normal means
of Injections. and although the infec-
ton was complete in a ? large
number OF cases. there is still doub:
as to the tuberculosis of man and
other animals being one and the same
disease. The difficulty in identif-
cation of the disease is increased by
the fact that differences in the 1u-
bercle bacilli Of different animals are
too slight to be characteristic. Hence
ing whether or not bovine tubercu1o-
sis is communicable to other animals
through the natural source Of con-
of milk is by experimental
ton on the lower animals. This is
the line followed by the present-day
scientist
The report OF the Bureau of Animal
Industry, Department of Agricult
ure, for 1904. contains a discussion of
such experiments carried on by DR..
E. c. Schroeder and W. E. Cotton. SUI
perintendent and expert assistant.
respectively. at the government ex-
pertinent station. In these expert
ments. guinea pigs and hogs were
used. These animals had been raised
at the station and as a as known
entirely free from disease. The
guinea pigs used were divided into
US - i, D.. III ". l<ot
lnrra,abdominal injections Of milk
tubercular COWS. Lot B was fed
the milk of tubercularsc cows. Lot
. was confined in cages fastened to !
walls of the box stalls occupied
oy the tubercular cattle. AT the right |
mansideS and closed bottoms
There the managers were located. The
had open places above the
evel Of the cows head when in the
of coughing. This form eX-
was called room exposure and
occupancy of rooms in common by
and northumberland indi-
LOUD was confined in cages
under the managers in
occupied by tubercular cattle.
The arrangement was such that a
hangers to The cages while the cat
le were eating This was called
exposure and wa calculated
give the best possible conditions
injection from exposure to dis
,ased individuals.
The first COW used in the expert
had peen affected with rubercu-
oSis for several year and at the time
II her death was SO emaciated and
so severely with respiratory
difficulties that it would have been
TO prolong her life. The autop
y showed an advanced Seneralized
tuberculosis Of the abdominal and
horacic organs The to=al amount
# the disease was so great that it
vas difficult o understand its CON-