The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-28
BOVINE BAC|LL|
NOT DANGEROUS
No Evidence to Show That It
Can Be Transferred to
The Human Body.
PECULIAR SITUATION.
SINCE 1T WAS ASSERTED THEY
COULD, IN LAST MEAT INSPEC-
TON AGITATION, SMITHS RE-
MARKS ARE OF INTEREST.

It is declared that there is no evil
dence bovine bacilli may be trans
formed and assume the human type in
the human body. This opinion has
been expressed by Theobald Smith
professor of comparative pathology at
the Harvard Medical school In view
of local conditions the assertions of
Professor Smith are of unusual inter
est here. This city has waged war on
tuberculosis in cattle. Ordinances
have been passed by the city council
prohibiting the sale Of uninspected
meats. Cattle brought to the local
market and found to be infected with
tuberculosis have been condemned. Out
of town dealers have been forbidden to
sell meat in this city that has not I'M
dergone inspection. The health au-
thOrities have agitated the matter and
the newspapers have given it wide
spread publicity. In every instance it
has been claimed the human may be
come infected with tuberculosis by par
taking of meat obtained from cattle af-
flicted with the disease.
Professor Smith claims now there is
nothing to prove such a thing has ever
occurred. He says The factor of bO-
vine tuberculosis in the human mala-
dy IS not Of such Importance that it
should be permitted to imperil the
proper execution of measures designed
to relieve and cure the strictly human
disease or divert attention from it as
the chief evil" The medical authority
claims there is no tubercle bacilli
found in the milk Of reacting COWS. He
advocates clean dairies as the solution
Of the problem.
In regard to the subjects of tubercu-
losis in cattle Professor Smith said in
a recent lecture:
That the bovine type should be
converted into the human type has no
analogy in the domain of bacteriOlogy
and as long as il is not clearly proved
TO occur it can not be accepted on mere
speculation. If the bovine and the
human cultures are indiscriminately
transmissible To other species. why
should two types have arisen: The
transmission of infectious animal
plaques to man occurs in the case of
CHAMBERS, anthrax. rabies and bubonic
plague. In these infections. which
which are due to bacteria. only one
type of microbe is known. not two"
Tests of Ostertag.
There has been vigorous discussion
whether cows which simply react to
tuberculin and which show no clinical
signs OF tuberculosis do or do not shed
baccilli in the milk Some observers
contend that they may do so. Others
deny the contention. Ny own expert
ence comedies with the latter. Oster-
tag. who made a careful study Of this
subject for the Prussian government
, and who found no tubercle bacilli in
the milk OF reacting animals. pointed
out that the discrepancies between OBJ
servers may perhaps be explained BY
the soiling Of the udder.
If Ostertag's Interpretation is cor
rect. and l am inclined to believe it is
careful periodical inspection of dai
ries by competent and conscientious
veterinarians followed by the removal
Of clinically tuberculosis animals. and
all that had any suspicious abnormal
" Of udder, and the enforcing of clean
illness would eliminate practically all
danger"