63 



In New Zealand the Acting Government Veterinary 

 Surgeon was in the early part of this year using it freely, 

 and so satisfied was Mr. Park with the results that he stated 

 at the Congress in Dunedin " that he was perfectly satisfied 

 that with the tuberculin test he would eradicate tuberculosis 

 from all dairies." 



During the early part of the present year the French 

 Minister of Agriculture proposed to bring up a Bill for the 

 compulsory testing and slaughtering of all tubercular animals 

 and for the i)artial compensation for all animals killed. It 

 was estimated that this would cost =£200,000 the first year. 

 In Tasmania it is doubtful if we have any tubercular cattle, 

 and it is the duty of the authorities to see that none are in- 

 troduced. Stock imported for breeding purposes should 

 therefore be carefully examined and tested with tuberculin. 

 Compared with the other colonies, our death rate from 

 phthisis is very low, in fact the second lowest on the list. 

 Might not this very low death rate be attributed to the fact 

 that our cattle are free from tubercular disease ? 



We must now direct our attention to the second measure by 

 which we hope to prevent tuberculosis, namely, hy increasing 

 the resisting power of the constitution, avoiding everything that 

 tends to reduce the vitality and increase the susceptibility of 

 the individual. 



This must be partly undertaken by the individual and 

 partly by the State, 



What is then the Duty op the Individual ?—1 must 

 be brief, because the care and upbringing of those who are 

 predisposed to this disease is a subject altogether too large 

 for a paper such as this. 



What I have to say applies not only to those who may be 

 predisposed by inheritance, but also to those who may acquire 

 it. 



The question of marriage concerns us here. It is one of 

 the most important questions affecting our social state, and 

 yet few questions are less frequently entertained profession- 

 ally. It would be a wise rule that no person with active 

 consumption should marry, but the sacrifice is, perhaps, too 

 great to be expected, nevertheless they should be warned of 

 the risk they run of leaving children behind them which will 

 be depending, it may be, on the charity of friends either for 

 their care or support. 



Infancy. — No mother should nurse her infant if she is 

 suffering from tuberculosis, as she may convey the infection 

 directly or indirectly by kissing or through the breath. '* It 

 has been shown that tubercle bacilli may be present in the 



