Human and Bovine Tuberculosis 399 



It is asserted that, if they could, pulmonary tubercu- 

 losis would show an increase instead of a decrease, and 

 that, if infection were due to milk, intestinal tubercu- 

 losis would be quite common, instead of being com- 

 paratively rare. As to the decrease of pulmonary tuber- 

 culosis among men, as indicated by recent statistics, 

 this cannot be accepted as a proof against the infectious- 

 ness of milk containing germs of bovine tuberculosis. 

 Better hygienic conditions, and perhaps a greater de- 

 gree of acquired immunity, may go far toward account- 

 ing for this decrease. The statistics available at present 

 do not indicate that intestinal tuberculosis among 

 children has suffered a decrease within the last genera- 

 tion. 



There are numerous facts on record that indicate that 

 tuberculosis among human beings has been caused by 

 the drinking of milk from tuberculous cows, or by acci- 

 dental inoculation with bovine tubercle bacilli. It has 

 been demonstrated, moreover, that these germs when 

 swallowed with the food, may pass readily through the 

 intestinal walls, lodge finally in the lungs and produce 

 pulmonary tuberculosis. Hence, whatever difference of 

 opinion there may prevail as to the extent of human 

 tuberculosis caused by the consumption of milk and milk 

 products, it is conceded by sanitarians that persistent 

 efforts should be made to eradicate bovine tuberculosis. 



Municipal and state regulations, reinforced both by 

 an intelligent use of the tuberculin test and by methods 

 of immunization, will make possible the more or less 

 complete extinction of this disease. These regulations 

 will not only increase the value of milk for the human 



