302 PUBLIC HEALTH BACTERIOLOGY 



able proportion of the tuberculosis affecting children is 

 of bovine origin, more particularly that which affects 

 primarily the abdominal organs and the cervical glands, 

 and further that primary abdominal tuberculosis, as well 

 as tuberculosis of the cervical glands, is commonly due to 

 ingestion of tuberculous infective material. 



In what way are children most likely to obtain a large 

 and fatally infective dose of tubercle bacilli ? To this 

 question there can be but one answer, namely, the evidence 

 accumulated goes to demonstrate that a considerable 

 amount of tuberculosis in children is to be ascribed to 

 infection with bacilli of the bovine type, transmitted in 

 meals consisting largely of the milk of the cow. 



The child may be subjected to this feeding with infective 

 material, and not develop a fatal tuberculosis ; but still be 

 injured, although it recover. Many cases of abdominal 

 tuberculosis in children recover, and the proportion of 

 bovine to human bacilli in these has not been estimated ; 

 and of cervical-gland tuberculosis, nearly all make some 

 kind of recovery, with varying degrees of disfigurement ; 

 and a similar statement may be applied to lupus. 



In adult and adolescent mankind (excluding lupus, in 

 which, out of 10 cases, three yielded bacilli culturally 

 bovine but with less virulence for the calf and rabbit than 

 the bovine tubercle bacillus), fatal lesions due to bovine 

 bacilli have been found, rarely in adolescents, and extremely 

 rarely in adults. Yet, although of 55 cases scrutinized of 

 tuberculosis in adults and adolescents, only 5 yielded 

 bovine bacilli, it cannot be said that this figure adequately 

 represents the proportion of like cases among the tubercu- 

 lous population generally. 



In view of the evidence adduced, the following pronounce- 

 ments on administrative measures required at present to 

 obtain security against transmission of bovine tubercle 

 bacilli by means of food, are called for : 



In the interests of infants and children, and for the reasonable 

 safeguarding of the public health generally, it is urged that 

 existing regulations and supervision of milk production and 

 meat preparation be not relaxed. 



On the contrary, Government should cause to be enforced 



