BY HON. W. F. TAYLOR, M.D., M.L.C., D.P.H. 101 



meningitis, bone and joint disease — there is found an old lesion, 

 may be not larger than a pea, at the apex of one lung, in a 

 mesenteric gland — the glands below the jaw, or in the bronchial 

 glands — and there may be no lesion, old or recent, in the 

 mucous membrane of the alimentary tract to show the point of 

 absorption. These are cases in which the primary local lesion 

 has retrograded, but still remained infective, the infective 

 material being absorbed into the circulation, and conveyed to 

 the meninges, or to the joints and bones. In the other cases 

 careful research has not revealed any local lesion in the body, 

 and these must be cases in which the tubercle bacillus is 

 absorbed accidentally directly into the circulation." 



Tuberculosis is very common among cattle, and swine, in 

 this and other countries, are very liable to it. Sheep and calves, 

 however, do not appear to be easily affected by it. The udders 

 of tuberculous cows are liable to become infected, and the milk 

 from these is a fertile source of infection to those who consume 

 it. Boiling the milk is the only safeguard ; but so many 

 persons, both children and adults, object to drinking boiled 

 milk, that the practice of boiling all milk before using it is by no 

 means an universal one. Neglect of this practice in the case of 

 the milk consumed by infants and young children is a common 

 cause of intestinal tuberculosis, usually called tabes mesenterica, 

 or abdominal phthisis. Cattle and swine being so liable to con- 

 tract tuberculosis, it is very necessary that all such killed for human 

 consumption should be properly inspected, and the only efficient 

 way to do this is to carefully examine the thoracix and abdominal 

 organs of the animals when killed — for although it may be, and 

 probably is true, that the flesh of tuberculous animals is in 

 most cases free from contamination, and may be safely eaten 

 when properly cooked, still cases do occur where the flesh 

 becomes contaminated by contact with diseased lungs or other 

 organs, and would therefore be a source of danger unless 

 properly cooked. In any case it is highly desirable that the 

 purchaser should know that he is buying the flesh of an animal 

 who may have had tuberculosis of the lungs or udder, so that he 

 may take such precautions respecting efficient cooking as will 

 minimise any risk of infection to those eating it. The carcase, 

 therefore, of an animal that has given evidence of tubercular 

 infection of any of the organs or glands should be duly labelled 

 and only sold as that of a tuberculous animal. I am decidedly 



