FLESH AND MILK FROM TUBERCULOUS ANIMALS. 279 
great in those countries that use milk raw and in those countries 
that sterilize the milk before drinking it. This decrease in tuber- 
culosis does not apply to intestinal tuberculosis among young 
children, indicating, possibly, that milk is a more common source 
of infection for children than for adults. For these various reasons 
it is a fair inference that the danger of tuberculosis fr6m milk is 
not very great for adults, though it may be considerable for young 
children. It is quite certain that for young children it is unsafe to 
resort to the use of milk from miscellaneous cows without the pre- 
caution of pasteurization. 
Certainly the logical method of dealing with milk would be 
to exclude from the milk-supply all milk from tuberculous animals 
or to allow it to be used only after pasteurization. Only thus 
could absolute safety be assured. But this is quite impractical, 
if, indeed, possible. A farmer who takes pride in his dairy and in 
furnishing a special quality of milk will protect his cutomers by 
periodic testing of his cattle and by the exclusion of all reacting 
animals. But to enforce any regulations looking in this direction in 
regard to the public milk-supply is simply impossible at the present 
time and will remain so for some time to come. The end could 
be reached through the milk supply companies, by the adoption of 
the simple and inexpensive process of pasteurizing all milk before 
distribution, and quite possibly such may be the ultimate solution 
of the problem. Meantime the only feasible method of treating 
the matter is to insist that the farmer shall rigidly exclude from the 
animals furnishing the milk-supply all cows with diseased udders, 
and to suggest to all who have a fear of using the milk because of 
the slight danger existing in this food-supply, that the danger may 
be wholly avoided by pasteurization. 
