116 TUBERCULOSIS. 



that was fully corroborated by further experiments. Similarly 

 it has been related how barn-door fowls in a country district, 

 which for a long time were perfectly healthy, were suddenly 

 attacked by an outbreak of tuberculosis after a phthisical patient 

 had come to live at the farm. The expectorations of this 

 patient were voraciously devoured by the fowh, with the result 

 that tuberculosis of a most virulent nature broke out m a most 

 extraordinary fashion amongst the brood. Feeding experiments 

 were also made to corroborate this accidental experiment ; and 

 more recently similar accidental experiments have been recorded 

 both in France and in this country." 



In dealing with this subject I have tried to submit the 

 whole question, and not one side of it only. I have quoted 

 freely from the highest authorities to show how distinctly they 

 warn us against the danger which attends the use of tuberculous 

 milk and flesh, and have explained in their own words the 

 circumstances which have induced them to give us the warning. 

 They have exaggerated nothing ; only irresponsible persons who 

 probably are not well informed even in the literature connected 

 with tliis question have done that ; for the authorities quoted, 

 and many others quoted by them, treat the danger of infection 

 through the use of unboiled milk and underdone flesh as a small 

 matter compared with that which is always associated with a 

 phthisical person. But I wish to point out that the evidences of 

 danger from the use of milk and flesh are theoretical only ; 

 because tubercle bacilli have been obtained from the milk and 

 flesh of tuberculous cows and the disease has been communicated 

 to other dumb animals by inoculating with them, it is assumed 

 that man, and children more particularly, may be infected in the 

 manner indicated. Human subjects cannot be subjected to such 

 experiments, and, plausible as is the reasoning in favour of 

 infection by this means, 1 have pointed out another channel of 

 infection which is almost always beside us, and which menaces 

 every man, woman, and child who comes near a phthisical 

 person. This is really the danger of dangers, and the horror of 

 it consists in the fact that even a lovins? mother's caresses and 

 her careful preparation of food may, if slie be phthisical, be the 

 means of conveying the tuberculous poison to the lungs or the 

 intestine of the child. We have no positive evidence that a 



