Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-10-09
As to Diseased Cattle.

The International tuberculosis Congress
which has Just closed its sessions, brought
together in Washington some of the mos
| renowned scientists OF the world. Their dis.
| cushions were Interesting and of inestimabe
Importance, II they did nothing more than
arouse the public at large to a serious con.
temptation Of the subject of tuberculosis and
the methods Of prevention and cure.
The numerous papers which had been pre-
pared on the tuberculin topic, and the pres.
ence OF such eminent tuberculin advocates
as Detre, Of Hungary; Calmette, Of France
Won Pirquet, of Austria, and Wolf. Eisner
OF Germany, warranted the belief that the
hnal action of the congress would remove
all doubt as to whether this test Is danger.
GUS lad, as some declare, or a valuable and
safe method OF discovering bovine tuber.
culosis.
To the disappointment of many OF the
scientists present, and to the satisfaction of
the dairy interests, which followed the pro.
ceedings with much care, the resolutions
which were adopted Saturday avoided all
reference to the value of tuberculin, from
which may be assumed that the congress did
not approve Of II, whether applied as Their.
apeutic or as diagnostlc agency.
IL Is to be noted also that the opponents
OF DIR. Koch, the discoverer of the tubercle
bacillus, took no action which did not sus.
tain every contention he has made. The
congress declared simply that bovine tuber.
culosls is recognized as transmssible to man,
which fact DR.. Koch and the entire scientific
world admit, and the congress was careful
not go on record as to the possibility of pull.
monary tuberculosis, commonly called con.
sumption, being caused by bovine bacilli.
This resolution not only supports what
Fnnt nd naA- hat
transmissibillty from man to man Ia the most
important source of infection-but 1t fatty
contradicts Won Behring, the discoverer Of
tetanus and diphtheria anti.toxin, who, with
his followers, insisted that milk was the sole
cause of tuberculosis In man. According to
such recognized authority as DIR. Bang, of
Copenhagen, who discussed tuberculosis in
domestic animals, q slightly infected COW,
unless the udder be diseased, is not to be
feared, and should not be destroyed. He
added:
| would advise the owner to kill badly in
fected animals and keep those showing signs
OF infection only by reaction as long as the
disease did not make noticeable progress. Use
their milk and raise their calves, but keep
them separated. Bulgaria in 1895 required
that reacting animals be slaughtered within
year and that their milk be used only when
boiled, but It was found necessary to rescind
the order. II has been proved that healthy
herd can be developed out Of calves raised
from reacting cows.
1t is wholly justifable to apply these resu to
to mankind. Remove the child from the tu.
berculosis mother and the tuberculosis home,
take care that II 10 not infected through milk
and it will keep healthy.
1t is of vital importance that sanitary laws
for the protection of the human family
against infectious diseases should be most
carefully drawn and rigidly enforced. II is
equally important, also that the measure OF
protectionldemanded be justly commensurate
with the degree of danger to which We are
exposed so that the destruction of property
may be as slight as the nature of the case
may permit. Reacting cattle ought to be
segregated and kept under observation, but
their slaughter should not bedemanded I'm.
less they are clearly shown to DO mena CO
to the community.