The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-24
TUBERCULOSIS THE SAME.

Something moro than ten years ago
DR.. Robert Koch, the great pathologist
and exponent Of germ theories, dis.
coverer Of the tuberculosis bacillus, de-
clared that the communicability of
tuberculosis disease from cattle to man
had not been proved. This declara-
tion Of his set In operation two differ
ent theories Of activities, On the
one hand it was declared that since
such communicability was not proved,
it was all nonsense to lay an embargo
upon milk from cows affected with
tuberculosis; that since the disease in
cattle was different from that in man,
and was not communicable from the
animal to the man through the milk,
there should be no official preven-
tatives taken against the use of milk
from tuberculosis cows Another and
far sounder activity was also set on
foot. that by the British Royal Com,
mission on tuberculosis, whose activi-
ties have been prolonged for ten years
in order to make scientific tests, and to
find definitely what there is or is not
in the idea that cattle tuberculosis can
be communicated to man through the
milk of tuberculosis cows. This was an
inquiry well worth the making, and it
has been pursued with n patience, per
severance, and scientific skill and care
worthy Of all commendatiou.
The final report of this commission
has now been made. It's inquiry was
into the relation between human and
animal tuberculosis primarily, and sec.
ondarily as to the means of com
munication to man of the tuberculosis
from animals In case such communica.
tion were found to be possible. The
conclusion arrived Mt by the commits
sion is, that such communication is pos.
slble, that an inter~relation exists be.
tween cattle tuberculosis and human
tuberculosis, The report shows that
the bovine bacillus is far more virulent
than the one which is associated with
tuberculosis in human beings Human
tuberculosis bacillus produced the dis.
ease in animals, even such as were
not infectible by the bovine bacillus
The bacilli were introduced into the
subjects of the experiments through
the ailmentary tract as we'll as by sub
cutaneous injection, The result of ex
periments made shows that the infec
tion might be carried TO human be
ing In butter, raw milk, and uncooked
beef. The experiments were made as
thorough as possible, and the results
are accepted in the medical and scien
tific world as conclusive
The real danger from bovine tubercu
losis is, that the presence of the dis
ease is so difficult of detection, since
a COW may, and often does, present
every sign of health to the eye while
she is reservoir Of infection to the
consumers of her milk and its products
or of her meat The tubercuin test
is the one reliable safeguard in al
cases. 1t reveals the presence of the
disease, enables the inspector to re
move the afflicted animal from the
herd, and cuts off the chance of spread
ing the plague which society Is now
bending its most earnest efforts &c
eradicate.
1t appears that there are two differ
ent forms of tuberculosis, the human
and the bovine; but the bovine i:
susceptible to the human infection, a:
well as the human to the bovine. and
that the two are often associated The
general summing up OF the situation j:
made editorially by the Philadelphia
Record in the following words;
Bovine tuberculosis bacilli were found
TO be present In large number OF cases
thougn in the majority OF instances the
Daclll were OF the dstinctively human
type In several cases both bacteria
forms were associated While. as DR.
Koch intsmated infection of bovine origin
was indicated mainly In cases OF intesti-
! nal tuberculosis. two OF the cases, how.
ever. were distinctiyely pulmonary OF
twenty mine cases OF abdominal tuberctI
,osis investigated by the commission four.
teeE YIELDED bovine. thirteen human. and
two both varieties OF bacclli Most ~ the
/ patients were under three years of ago
and all but two We're less than five YEA RS
Old The Inference Is that especial care
! is necessary In guarding the food of chi.
and their kindred souls. who have Been
crying out against sterllized milk and dc.
iclaring the inspection OF dairies and herds
to be abominable tyranny. will have tc
guess again" Those who are wise for
themselves and thoughtful OF the babes
methods of precaution,
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