Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-28
THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS: THURSDAY MARCH 49, 1907

which is based on positively experimental
evidence, that we should feel no doubt
regarding our plain duty, which is, no
matter what other measures we adopt In
our fight against tuberculosis. not to neg
lect one of the chief, if not the most i'm
portant, source of infection-the tubercu-
lous dairy COW.
Drs. Schroeder and Cotton believe they
have shown that systematic investigation
is gradually retiring the inhalation theory
which has long been used to explain the
frequency with which tuberculosis is n
pulmonary disease and that the ingestion
of tubercle bacilli is being proved to be
the real method through which tubercu-
lous infection reaches the lung, as well as
other organs of the body.
They hold that not only Is the inhalation
theory dying and making room for the
fact that ingestlon is the true mode of
infection with tuberculosis but also the
theory that dust from pulverized sputa
is the most important factor in the trans
mission of tuberculosis Is gradually los
ing ground also and giving way to the
conviction that fresh tubcrculous mate
rial must be looked to as the true agent
| through which infection occurs.
| one Of their conclusions is that there Is
no means to-day by witch persons are
brought into closer contact with fresh
| tuberculous material than milk and dairy
products obtained from, and in the envi-
ronment of tuberculous COWS. The wide
use of milk. its rapid distribution because
of its perishabe character the ease with
which it may be contaminated by having
Observation-Disclosures feces splashed,
sprayed, switched or otherwise introduced
into it in a fresh state. all speak for one
conclusion. namely: That we have no
more active agent than the tuberculous
COW for the increase of tuberculosis
among animals and its persistence among
men.
The main. facts established by the gov
eminent investigators after long, thor
| OuEH-SOlHB experiments, are lnuS sum-
married.:
| (a) tuberculosis is a disease contracted
through the ngeston Of tuberclc bacilli.
| OBJ The lung is the most frequent organ
affected independently of the point at
which the infectious material enters the
body.
| (c) tuberculosis infection may pass
| from one part of the body to another re-
note to it without leaving a chain of le-
sions to mark its path.
Cd Fresh tuberculous material has the
highest and dried and pulvcrized material
a doubtful, significance.
(e) Tuberculous material from cattle
has the highest virulence for all tested
species of the mammalian kingdom. to
which man anatomically and physlologi-
cally belongs, and tuberculous material
from man has a lower virulence.
Man is constantly exposed to fresh tu-
berculous material in n helpless way
through his use of dairy products from
tubercuous cows and COWS associated
with tuberculous cattle.
Inasmuch as the people of Vermont
have become educated to the idea of sub
hitting to the killing of tuberculous cat
tie without protest this discussion has
ceased in a wayto. have other than acad-
emic interest for our people. Yet there is
only one safe rule to follow and this is tc
insist that your rilkman shall have his
dairy tested as frequently as necessary to
assure immunity