584 Trausactions. — Miscc'laucoiis. 



impossible. Further, in the cow the udder is especially liixble 

 to be affected by tubercle. In the human species the breast is 

 rarely affected; but in the cow, very often while still " prime 

 fat," and before any symptoms point to the general system 

 being affected, the udder is so diseased that the milk drawn 

 from it is a dilution of tubercular poison. In a large dairy 

 one tuberculous cow may be the means of carrying the disease 

 to hundreds of families, all ignorant of the danger they are 

 incurring. 



To sum up our knowledge of the influence of the milk- 

 supply in causing tuberculosis in man, we may say that it is 

 proved that tuberculosis in man and in cattle are the same 

 disease — due to the Bacillus tuherculosis ; that the milk from 

 a tuberculous cow, especially if the udder is affected, is liable 

 to contani the germ of tuberculosis ; that tlie use of food con- 

 taining this germ has been proved a means of infection, and 

 that therefore the use of milk from tuberculous cows is at- 

 tended by serious danger. There is good reason for believing 

 that the use of such milk is responsible for some of the tuber- 

 culosis in man, especially of its manifestations in children. 



I have endeavoured to bring under your notice the prin- 

 cipal diseases by which man may become aft"ected through 

 his milk-supply. A knowledge of the dangers incurred by 

 this means is of value only so far as it is applied to lessen 

 or prevent the risk of disease. I hope you will bear with 

 me a few minutes while I attempt to point out the w^ays 

 in which we may take advantage of our knowledge. In the 

 first place, in all duties connected with the milk-business — its 

 production, its distribution, and its consumption — cleanliness is 

 a first essential, and in securing this the consumer as well as 

 the producer must bear his part. In his own house he should 

 insist on the milk being kept in perfectly clean vessels, and 

 free from dust. He will gain much also from seeing that it is 

 boiled shortly before use, unless he is positively certain that it 

 is in every way pure. If he is cognizant of a want of cleanli- 

 ness in the dairy from which his milk is derived he must, of 

 course, take the responsibility of any evil results should he 

 continue a customer of that dairy. The consumer is able to 

 effect much good by insisting that his milk shall come to him 

 from such a source and under such conditions that its purity 

 is guaranteed. Unfortunately, the majority of milk-consumers 

 either do not care from whence their milk comes so long as 

 they get it, or else have no opportunity of inquiring and satis- 

 fying themselves that all due precautions are taken to insure 

 that a good article is being delivered to them. 



The chief responsibility in insuring a pure milk-supply 

 rests W'ith the dairyman, and, although there is no doubt that 

 the necessity of avoiding the suspicion of supplying contanii- 



