TUBERCULOSIS 175 



articles of clothing and bedding which cannot be sent 

 to the laundry may be disinfected by the Health De- 

 partment, at its disinfecting station, either by steam 

 or formaldehyd. 



The danger of contracting tuberculosis through 

 the medium of milk from tuberculous cows is to be 

 guarded against by the killing of animals recognised 

 as tuberculous and by the sterilisation of milk when 

 it comes from a source not known to be free from 

 suspicion. 



That the tubercle bacillus is frequently, if not 

 usually, present in the milk of tuberculous cows, has 

 been demonstrated by numerous independent investi- 

 gators. 



We regard the danger of contracting the disease 

 by eating the flesh of tuberculous animals as ex- 

 tremely remote. This should be condemned if the 

 animal is found to have the lesions of pulmonary 

 tuberculosis ; but if these are not discovered, the facts 

 that the bacilli are not located in the muscles, and 

 that the meat is cooked before it is eaten, probably 

 reduce the danger to an imaginary one. 



It has been shown by experiment that tubercle 

 bacilli may retain their vitality and infecting power 

 in desiccated sputum for several months. Infected 

 houses are therefore dangerous for a considerable 

 time after they have been vacated by a consumptive 



