Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1908-06-05

You or your family may catch con-
sumption from your cows.
This statement, now proved scien-
tiic truth---disputed by only a small
and steadily decreasing number OF
authorities - Is perhaps not recog-
nized as such by one farmer in a hun
dred. We want to carry the truth
home to them.
Consumption Germs Transmitted By
Food Instead Of Air.
Perhaps you have thought that
consumption can only be taken by in
halation.
Science now tells US that this is a
mistake.
You do not get the germs Of tu-
berculosis through breqhing only
but also through eating and drinking
sometimes through meat. milk and
butter.
The grave. exceedingly grave, i'm
portance of this matter is suggested
by the new bulletin, mentioned last
week. just issued by the National De-
partment Of Agriculture - Circular
127 Of the Bureau Of Animal Indus
try, "Tuberele Bacilli in Butter
from which the following striking
passage is taken:
This conception Of tuberculosis,
like most other modern views of the
disease, brings with It no encourage
10 Nrvk 4.f.
products with complaeency; on the
contrary, it stamps the tuberculous
COW as one of the greatest dangers to
which public health is exposed.
THE inhalation theory to account
for the occurrence of pulmonary tu-
berculosis has been shown TO be no
longer tenable. because no substance
can be carried into the finer bron-
ehioles by the respiratory process.
and because tuberculous LESSONS in
the lung have been shown to spread
from the vascular system. the finer
capillaries, and not from the air pas
sages. Dried and pulverized tubercu-
lous material has been shown to lack
infectiousness, and the infectious
spray discharged from the mouths of
tuberculous persons during speaking
and coughing has been shown TO be
of Importance only in their imme-
diate environment. unless such per-
sons are permitted to handle articles
of food. to which the larger droplets
of the spray may adhere. The intro
duction of bacilli into the body
through the uninjured wall of the d.
gestive tract. anywhere from the
mouth downward. has been shown to
be the chief mode Of infection with
tuberculosis.
Consequently. fresh, virulent tu-
bercle bacllli in articles Of food must
be regarded as the greatest of tuber-
culous dangers, and among these tu-
bercle bacilli in butter, because of
their frequent occurrence and their
long continued life and virulence,
must rank very high as a danger of
the utmost significance for public
health"
Meat. Milk and Butter From Cows
Having tuberculosis Spread Disease.
This brief statement is enough to
make every stock owner arouse him
self to the grave dangers threatened
by the presence of any animals affect
ed by tuberculosis tconsumption). 1t
is not only your responsibility toward
your own family. but no man of nor
NAL conscience can think lightly Of
his responsibility in selling meat.
milk OF butter from diseased animals.
tuberculosis germs may be carried
either by meat, milk or butter. as We
have seen. With meat the danger is
slight. because of the long process of
cooking; the chief danger is through
milk and butter. The danger cf in
lection through milk is now generally
appreciated, and the new bulletin
Just mentioned is likely to arouse the
country as to the danger hardly less
great from tuberculous butter.
tuberculosis Rare Among Common
Farm Cattle, Common in Dairy
Herds.
Fortunately among our hardy farm
cattle in the South tuberculosis is
rare. but it is alarmingly commt in
dairy herds near cities. There is
hardly a good sized town in the
South that is not now getting milk
from some few tuberculous cattle.
and this must continue to be true
probably increasingly true until
wonders of the Microphonc.