DAIRY MEETING. 187 



such a source. In such milk as it comes from the animal there 

 is no physical dirt. It is entirely bacterial and invisible. 



There is now no question but that milk from a tubercular 

 udder will contain the bacteria of this disease, and can be the 

 cause of the disease among the users of the milk. There is 

 also now quite general agreement in the view that general tuber- 

 culosis of the animal, not afifecting the udder itself, will result 

 in the presence of the bacteria in the milk. There are cases 

 where the germs of tuberculosis have appeared in the milk 

 after being injected into the shoulder of the animal, and so far 

 removed from the udder. There is also now general agreement 

 in the view that the bovine strain of the tubercle bacillus can 

 result in human tuberculosis not only in children but in adults, 

 and not only in the intestines but also in the lungs. As a result, 

 milk drawn from a tubercular cow, even though the degree of 

 infection of the cow be so small as to be detected only by the 

 tuberculin test, should not be considered safe to use in a raw 

 state. If absolutely necessary it can be used after pasteuriza- 

 tion, which kills the germ. 



The cow is never afifected by the disease we know as diph- 

 theria, yet there have been cases where ulcers on the outside of 

 the udder have become infected by the diphtheria bacillus, and 

 have dropped from thence into the milk during milking. Out 

 of 2j milk borne outbreaks of this disease, studied by the U. S. 

 Pviblic Health & Marine Hospital Service, 2 were reported to 

 have been thus caused. 



There are also two cases, recorded by the same Service, of 

 outbreaks of scarlet fever, caused by eruptive disease of the 

 udders of cows. 



Seven outbreaks of septic sore throat, resembling pseud- 

 diphtheria, have also been recorded. In the case of septic sore 

 throat and scarlet fever the ulcerative process may be within 

 the udder as well as outside of it, and so the milk as it comes 

 from the cow may be infected. When from the outside, the bac- 

 illi drop in with physical dirt. Enough has thus been said to show 

 the necessity of excluding a cow, diseased in any way, from a 

 milk herd. It should be an axiom that milk should be taken 

 only from healthy cows. If there is the slightest degree of 

 suspicion as to the health of the cow the milk from her should 

 be pasteurized if it is to be used for consumption in any way. 



