BY PKOFESSOR CROOKSHANK. 89 



supply of pure and wholesome milk, will be a splendid work 



for veterinary surgeons and breeders of stock to undertake, and 



one to which they should direct all their energy. It can be 



confidently asserted that, there can be no better recommendation 



of Queensland meat than a very high standard of health in 



Queensland cattle, and the percentage of tuberculosis in cattle 



in Queensland would appear to be extremely low. I find in the 



reports of the Board of Agriculture, out of 21,768 cattle 



slaughtered, the proportion of tubercle was 1.1 per cent. 



In another report of 27,905 slaughtered, the percentage of 



tubercle was .9 per cent. But as I have already pointed out^ 



it is difficult to arrive at a correct estimate from the published 



returns. 



SO-CALLED "CANCER" IN CATTLE. 



It is absolutely necessary to differentiate in every instance 

 the disease known as Actinomycosis. I have already referred 

 to the use of the word "cancer'" in the reports of the meat 

 inspectors. I regret to find that this popular term is still made 

 use of. Probably those who use it little realise how damaging 

 it is to the meat industry of the State. Last year, there was a 

 correspondence in the Times, in which it was suggested that 

 the increase of cancer in England was due to eating the flesh of 

 cancerous animals imported from the colonies. I took an 

 early opportunity of pointing out the absurdity of suggesting 

 any connection between so-called cancer in cattle, and cancer 

 in the human subject. Many years ago I published an ex- 

 haustive report upon Actinomycosis which is prevalent in 

 England. I pointed out that various manifestations of this 

 disease were known to farmers and breeders as "cancer of the 

 tongue," "cancer of the jaw," "cancerous polypus," "osteo- 

 sarcoma," and various other misleading names. Every one of 

 the cases which came under my observation was shown to be a 

 manifestation of Actinomycosis, a local inflammatory affection, 

 associated with the presence of a characteristic fungus known 

 as the streptothrix actinomtjces. The disease has no relation 

 whatever to cancer in the human subject. It is this disease 

 which is met with in Queensland, and it is most unfortunate 

 that the public should be alarmed by any reference to cancer. 

 I trust that in all future reports of the meat inspectors, that 

 the popular term "cancer" will be left out altogether, and 

 that the scientific name for every disease will be given. Ac- 

 tinomycosis, though common in cattle, occurs also, though 

 rarely, in man, and as in the case of tuberculosis, it has been 



