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 from 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. 



