61 



to have advanced or general tuberculosis. He sees no objec- 

 tion to the sale of meat-substances from carcases which have 

 shown only localised tuberculosis, and from which everj 

 particle of tubercle had been skilfully removed, provided 

 always that in every subsequent process of preparing the 

 meat for sale, due care be taken to guard the saleable portions 

 from contamination by tuberculous matter." 



" Total seizure," you see, is not advised as adopted in 

 Glasgow and some other towns in the old country. The 

 French Government, since the Congress, have decreed against 

 it, Germany, and many other countries have considered it 

 altogether too heroic a measure. Thut the bacilli may be 

 found in the muscle and muscle juice, as well as in the blood 

 of animals dying of a generalised tuhercidosis, is proved by 

 McCall, Bollinger, and others, but are they found in these 

 structures in animals where there is only a localised hibercu- 

 losis ? Those who oppose " total seizure " say no, and further 

 tell us that we must not forget that it is not tubercular 

 material we are eating, but cooked meat, which has all the 

 appearances of being healthy, derived from an animal which 

 had merely a localised tuberculosis. 



To sum up this : in all cases where the disease is general, 

 or more than one organ affected, the whole carcase should be 

 condemned ; where the tuberculosis is local, confined to one 

 organ and the animal in good condition, the meat may be 

 *' passed," provided the organs are carefully removed and that 

 the meat is not contaminated by the butcher's knife in dress- 

 ing the animal. 



All this goes to show the necessity of a proper inspection 

 of animals before and after killing, and to do this we must 

 insist upon all animals being slaughtered at public abattoirs. 

 Any doubtful ones can be set aside to be tested with the 

 tuberculin. The Intercolonial Medical Congress of 1896, in 

 Bunedin, adopted the following resolution after a wide dis- 

 cussion on the subject of tuberculosis : — *' That, recognising 

 the serious extent to which tubercular disease prevails 

 throughout Australasia, the fact that the disease is an in- 

 fectious one, spreading through the medium of infected milk, 

 meat, and air, this Congress begs respectfully to bring under 

 the notice of the Governments of the different colonies the 

 necessity which exists for the continuous and skilled inspec- 

 tion, veterinary as well as medical, of cattle and dairy stock, 

 dairies, milk shops, abattoirs ; and for the proper disinfection 

 of public spittoons, conveyances, buildings, etc., known or 

 suspected to have become infected. The Congress also 

 strongly urges the general use of tuberculin as a test for the 

 presence of tubercular disease in dairy and other stock." 



These measures will require to be aided by the thorough 



