102 PUBLIC ABATTOIRS AND THE PREVENTION, ETC. 



of opinion, however, that in no case should the flesh of a 



tuberculous animal be used for human food. We have seen 



from the Report of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis that 



*' There is always a difficulty in making sure of the absence of 



tuberculous matter from any part of the carcase that shows 



evidence of tuberculosis," and we know that the system may 



become generally infected from a tuberculous deposit, however 



minute, which may have existed for months in a quiescent state 



in any of the organs of the body. Is it right, therefore, to 



assume that the flesh of such an animal is safe to use for 



human food, no matter how well cooked? Again, the deeper 



parts of meat are not, as a rule, thoroughly cooked — many 



people like their meat underdone, and such underdone meat can 



hardly be said to be quite safe and free from the risk of 



infection. One argument in favour of the use of the flesh of 



tuberculous animals is that it could be sold cheaper to the poorer 



classes than the flesh of healthy animals. I am of opinion, 



however, that if the flesh of tuberculous animals is to be used 



at all for human food, it should only be used by those who are 



in a position to have it well and thoroughly cooked, and who are 



not living in crowded, ill-ventilated, and insanitary tenements, 



as the poorer classes generally are, especially in our cities. In 



other words, it is less risky, personally, for the better well-to-do 



classes to consume meat of doubtful character than it is for 



the poorer classes, and the danger to the community as a whole 



trom one of the well-to-do classes becoming infected would be 



less than it would be from one of the poorer classes, by reason 



of the evironments of the one being so much better than that 



of the other, the risk of contagion from an infected individual 



being less in proportion to the degree of isolation, purity of 



air, and sanitary condition of his surroundings, anl his 



intelligent understanding of the various means by which the 



infection may be propagated. Every individual infected with 



tuberculosis is a source of contagion, and many become a centre 



for the spread of the disease. It is necessary, therefore, if the 



disease is to be controlled, if not stamped out, that every 



probable or possible source of infection should be eliminated. 



As the flesh of tuberculous animals may, and sometimes 



admittedly does, become infected, it appears to me to be obvious, 



that if tuberculosis is to be combatted suceessfully no loophole 



of escape should be permitted it ; therefore, as the use of the flesh 



