Danger from Bovine Tuberculosis. 



tion of raw milk from a tuberculous udder by the children who 

 were already infected with the human type of the disease, it was 

 impossible to isolate from the tuberculous glands of the neck and 

 mesentery any bacilli of the bovine type. Weber concludes from 

 this that a body already infected with the human type of the dis- 

 ease is resistant rather than susceptible towards an infection with 

 the bovine type. 



The fourth group contains by far the greatest number of 

 cases in which children and adults consumed raw milk from cows 

 affected with tuberculosis of the udder, or milk products prepared 

 from the same, and includes those cases in which no disturbances 

 of the health resulted from such consumption. It was especially 

 stated relative to the children that they all appeared thriving and 

 healthy. Among these persons are included those who for a long 

 period ingested especially great quantities of bovine tubercle ba- 

 cilli ; thus a 13-month old child has been brought up exclusively on 

 raw and boiled milk from a cow affected with udder tuberculosis, 

 and up to the present remains healthy. 



Other cases may be considered as presenting complete ex- 

 periments with the necessary controls, since the persons who 

 drank the milk remained healthy, whereas calves and hogs fed with 

 the same milk developed severe ingestion tuberculosis. The ob- 

 servations of such cases may be traced back incompletely for 

 3 or 4 years. 



A 25-year old waitress, and a 28-year old dairy hand drank mugfuls of freshly 

 drawn tuberculous milk, frequently without any other milk being added without be- 

 coming affected; the calf of the cow which produced the milk had to be slaughtered 

 after four weeks, and showed tuberculosis of the mesenteric lymph glands, liver, lungs 

 and kidneys, a severe ingestion tuberculosis. 



The milk of another highly affected tuberculous cow also suffering from udder 

 tuberculosis, was mixed with the milk of two other cows, and was consumed frequently 

 in a raw condition, by two adults and a 13-year child; a child 1% years of age was 

 given the milk only in a boiled condition. The adults remained healthy; the calf from 

 this cow had to be slaughtered after five weeks, and showed generalized tuberculosis. 



From the stable of a herdsman the milk of a cow affected with udder tuberculosis 

 was mixed with the milk of three other cows, and the cream and butter prepared from 

 this was consumed by four persons, aged 31 to 59 years, without producing any ill 

 effects. The five hogs of the herdsman were found on postmortem to be tuberculous. 



Similar results were reported from the ingestion of milk from a tuberculous udder 

 of a goat, which was consumed as raw and boiled milk by three adults and four chil- 

 dren of ages from 5 to 16 years. The persons remained well while a hog became af- 

 fected with ingestion tuberculosis. 



In two other cases the milk was consumed in a raw or unmixed state, as milk, 

 buttermilk and butter. It was consumed by seven adults, in one case for a period of 

 four months, in another case even longer. In spite of the fact that the family has been 

 kept under observation for four years no disturbance in health can be detected. 



It is proven by the collected material of Weber that even 

 though tremendous quantities of tuberculous material are con- 

 sumed, still more favoring accessory conditions are necessary in 

 order to produce an infection with the bovine type of tubercle 

 bacilli. Of course it is not yet known, as indicated by Weber, how 

 many of the children which show swelling of the cervical lymph 

 glands and symptoms of suspected abdominal tuberculosis, are 



