TUBERCULOSIS. 159 



rial shows that the bovine bacillus grows well in the human 

 body, under the most favorable circumstances producing typical 

 lesions, and that it shows for man at least as great pathogenic 

 power as the human bacillus under identical circumstances. 



The most direct and positive proof that bovine tubercu- 

 losis is responsible for a certain amount of human tuberculosis 

 is given bj' the finding of bovine bacilli in lesions of man. 



In June, 1901, Ravenel succeeded in isolating from the 

 mesenteric glands of a child, sent him by Dr. Alfred Hand 

 from the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, a culture which 

 has been designated R. K. This culture showed most intense 

 virulence for cattle, killing two calves in seventeen and twenty- 

 seven days respectively, and a six year old cow in seventeen 

 days. Later, other cultures were isolated from glands of 

 children, which had unusual virulence, one killing a calf in 

 forty-six days. 



As further proof, I will quote some experiments of Drs. 

 Mohler and Washburn, of the Pathological Division of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, under date of January 8th, 1907, 

 who report numerous cases of infection of cattle, calves, 

 sheep, guinea pigs, rabbits and monkeys from bacilli taken 

 from human sputum and cultures made from human bacilli. 

 Tuberculosis was also produced in sheep, pigs, dogs, rabbits 

 and monkeys from tubercle bacilli of bovine origin and bovine 

 culture. Guinea pigs were inoculated with tubercle bacilli 

 from birds, which also produced tuberculosis in a severe form. 

 It was previously considered that tuberculosis of the avian or 

 bird type would not affect the mammalian tribe. 



So, I might go on and give case after case of many diflfer- 

 ent scientists of the intertransmissibility of human and bovine 

 tj^pes. But, to sum it all up, the more recent investigators 

 practically all agree that it is only the degree of vinilencc and 

 the susceptibility of different animals that varies, and not the 

 particular form or type of tubercle bacilli, in producing the 

 disease. I trust I have cited authority and experiments 

 enough to convince the most sceptical of the danger of con- 



