Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-28
4 PLEA FOR COW INSPECTION.
(By DR.. w. S. Devlne.)

(By DR.. w
| Editor T-R.--Knowlng how firmly
/ you believe in the fact that tubercu-
/ losis can be eradieated and also tina
you are a staunch supporter of the
idea of educating the general public
In measures to combat this dread dis
ease. l am inclined to take advantage
of this knowledge and hand you the
following communication.
Tuberculosis being one of the Oldest
diseases Of which we have knowledge
it's Effectiveness was not known until
revealed by Villeman in 1865 and Its
cause by Koch in 1882 and from this
date the real progress began In it,
elimination. The slowness with which
the general public takes hold of the
truths as revealed from day to day ac-
counts in the greatest measure for this
seeming delay. 1t requires constant
earnest and united effort to get the
public to fully realize that a germ
that cannot be seen only by "a mi
croscope can destroy 5000 lives on an
average In our own state each year
not stopping to take into account the
ravages OF bovine tuberculosis in cat
tie, with which j expect to deal farther
along. Those OF us who know can
realize only how difficult for the I'M
trained in the science of germ infec-
ton to recognized that the living or
ganism they cannot see Is the source OF
this dread disease, called tuberculosis.
The inability to realize this and the
effect upon the minds of the people
OF sanitary regulations issued to COM
bat this disease will account in a
measure for what seems wasted years.
But these years Of seeming lost OPP
portunity and slowness have been
years of rapid progress, looking back
over the centuries, and these years
counting from 1882, have been pre-
paradory for the real struggle which Is
now upon US. Sentiment is giving
away to reason and the general pub
lie Is beginning to heed the necessity
Of such measures as cleanliness. sun
shine. fresh air, disinfectants, plenty of
wholesome food and water. and outdoor
life. This is the result of, educating
the people. When they fully realize
the channels Of infection thru knowl-
edge that they can understand. the
crowded tenement with poorly ventt-
lated and dark rooms, the damp cell
lars or Easements, the over croWding
of public buildings that are poorly If at
all vert''a.ed. the meat OF diseased an
imals d for food, the milk OF tu-
berculosis cows, which Is offered to lit
tIel children and infants as food, the
nasty and filthy barnyard and cow
pens where the milking is done, the
cows being MIXED when their hair is
loaded with manure, such as these will
not be tolerated by an enlightened
public, and why should they?
Now that we know consumption Is
a preyentable disease and to have 1t
one must take the little organism
which we can't see into his tissues
where 1t sooner or later destroys life
and that this Is the more certain If
your general health or physical con-
dition or vitality Is lowered by loss OF
tone from the effects of bad air, poor
food, lack OF sunshine and outdoor
life, how much more 1t has become our
duty to combat this disease and how
relentlessly this duty grips every one.
We know what causes tuberculosis,
and we know many OF the ways it can
be spread far and wide. Are there many
who want to take the fearful response
bility of holding onto their opinions
when we can SO easily inquire into
the methods of prevention and the
cause? Recognizing the absolute
cause, 1t does away with opinions I'M
founded and we have a definite, tangf-
BILE l1iving object to deal with, no mys-
terry, to do our whole duty in the one
purpose to overcome and eliminate
this destroyer Of life.
1t has been ascertained that cattle
upon which we depend so largely for
food are subject to tuberculosis and
the very conditions to be overcome
in the elimination of tuberculosis in
man, are practically the same in the
cattle. That man has been infected
by bovine tuberculosis as it is called
when found in cattle, is an absolute
fact, and it is fact also that bo-
vine tuberculosis has been found in
children, and that they have died from
that cause. This being grover war
rants every reasonable means to be
employed to eliminate the disease from
cattle. No one, / take it. wants the
milk from a COW that is affected with
tuberculosis, neither do we want but
ter from the same source. / am glad
to note that altho reluctant to believe
at first that the ordinance which the
city council adopted in Marshalltown
requiring that inspection of all mich
cows was not only a harsh measure
but an unnecessary one, is thought
.favorably of by many dairymen, and
is especially liked by the people using
milk and cream in the city, and