New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-07
CAUSE OF CT VSUMPTION.
Theory That 1t Comes Through
MIX from Goes.

Is milk at the root of pulmonary consumption?
Some medical students think so and, strange as
1t seems, think of it a cure. also. They are
experimenting to find out if the latter is true.
Students of tuberculosis have come to the con-
cIusion, and this accepted at the session of
the international tuberculosis congress at Paris
a couple of months ago, that bovine tuberculo-
sis can be transferred to human beings, and
that the bovine bacilli are more vfrulent than
the human. Cows in all parts of the world in
large numbers have the bacilli in their systems
An authority in the great dairy country, Den
mark, says that in that land over 60 per cent of
the animals are tuberculous in all herds of more
than fifty. An English student has estimated
that 80 per cent of all cattle in England are in
the same condition, and in tests made in various
parts of the United states it has been found
that from to 80 per cent of the cattle in herds
give evidence of the presence of the bacill, not
withstanding the fact that they look plump and
healthy Professor Won Behring, of the Univer-
sity Of Marburg, Germany. who has made
special study of tuberculosis and methods Of
euppressing it. asserts that cows milk fed to
infants is the chief cause of consumption.
Nathan Straus who has for number of years
been furnishing millions of bottles of pasteurzed
milk to the poor of New York. in his paper read
before the congress at Paris. basing his asser-
ton on facts published in the British Medical
SouTndlJ Sdlu Cldl DIT lS6lSl ~ pei cent VI a.
the children who die have been infected with
tuberculosis through their food and one-seventh
of all deaths are due to tuberculosis.
The theory of Professor Behring is that a
certain protective covering to the mucous MEM
branes is missing IT. very young children. Be-
fore it develops i'll the alimentary channels any
tubercle bacilli in the milk upon which the chili
feeds may be taken into the system. There
they may lie in latent state until the condi-
lions are ripe, when the virus of tuberculosis is
again absorbed into the system. and tuberculosis
develops in the form of consumption. If there
had been no previous infection it would not be
consumption but something else. In this way
milk fed to infants may be the cause of con-
sumption.
Cattle in Germany are being made immune by
incubation with the virus of tuberculosis. From
experiments Professor Won Behring thinks that
possibly milk from an immune COW is cure Tor
tuberculosis. He is experimenting to discover
whether immune milk will retain this quality
when transported for long distance and as to
its value remedy.
That all milk used by human beings should
be pasteurized is the belief of Mr.. Straus. He
thinks it should be done by the city. Said he
the other day: "At the session Of the inter
national tuberculosis congress at Paris in Octo-
her DR. Brouardel expressed the opinion that
one of the most useful results of the congress
was the acceptation of the fact by all delegates
that bovine tuberculosis is as transmissble to
men as it is to children, the bovine baciH be-
ing even more dangerous to men than are the
human bacilli. This conclusion emphasized
afresh the need for sterilfZing all milk. 1t has
been brought to my attention that about 10 per
cent of the COWS brought to this city have had
tuberculosis badly that their lungs were al
most eaten away. butcher of this city wrote
that early in the season out Of Ill fat cows
which he purchased twentyseven were found,
when they were killed. to have had this disease.
Now, If it is true that such large percentage
have tuberculosis, it might easily be true that