PATHOLOGICAL RESULTS, ETC. 347 



attempt has to be made to diminish its prevalence, it is 

 evident that a correct appreciation of the sources of infection 

 is of the highest importance. These sources are either the 

 discharges or secretions of tuberculous organs, or tuber- 

 culous lesions removed in cases of natural tuberculosis in 

 man or animals. Of the first class sputum and milk are 

 the chief. It is probable that to milk derived from tuber- 

 culous cattle is to be ascribed the majority of cases of 

 ingestion tuberculosis that occur in children. To sputum 

 in the dried state most of the cases of primary lung 

 tuberculosis must be ascribed. Tuberculous organs in 

 cattle, when given to animals as food, will tend to per- 

 petuate the disease. The meat of tuberculous cattle, when 

 no care is taken in its "dressing" to prevent contamination 

 with tuberculous material, is also a source of infection, and 

 the discharges from tuberculous cattle kept in stalls leads 

 to the infection of healthy cows present in the same shed. 

 By proper regulations made by the State the danger from 

 milk and meat could be diminished, or even completely 

 eliminated ; and the individual, by always boiling milk and 

 by properly cooking the meat, can reduce the danger of 

 infection to a minimum. With sputum, however, the case 

 is different. No State regulations are here available, inas- 

 much as if they were made they would probably be more 

 frequently infringed than followed. The duty of the 

 medical profession seems to be to instruct- tuberculous 

 patients under their charge that their expectoration is of 

 clanger not only to themselves, but to those surrounding them ; 

 that it is infective material^ which ought to be destroyed 

 and which is destroyed with very little trouble to them- 

 selves. By educating the people in this manner a large 

 amount of tuberculous material which is a source of danger 

 to the community will be destroyed, and, combined with 

 proper regulation of the milk and meat supply, will un- 

 doubtedly in time tend to diminish the present scourge of 

 tuberculosis. 



Sidney Martin. 



