DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 227 



to another through the medium of the air. More than this, the 

 stalls and sheds in which tuberculous oxen have been housed, 

 uuless most thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, will give rise 

 to the production of the malady in healthy cattle afterwards 

 placed in them. Tubercular sputum which has been dried for 

 twenty days or more will, if inoculated into healthy animals, 

 give rise to the disease. If thoroughly boiled, tubercular matter 

 seems to lose a great deal of its power for mischief. Mr. Laws 

 has recently found that, if exposed to a temperature of 45° C. for 

 twenty-four hours, the anthrax bacillus is completely destroyed, 

 and that if the temperatures varying from 43° C. to 45° 0. are 

 employed, there seems to be a loss of power in the bacilli them- 

 selves, and also in those which are generated from them. Ere 

 long more will be known respecting the action of heat on the 

 micro-organisms attendant upon disease. Alcohol also has been 

 said to have a retarding influence upon the tubercular virus ; 

 but this statement certainly requires confirmation. Speaking 

 roughly, we may say that the period of incubation of tuberculosis 

 is about six weeks. 



Cattle which have any tendency to the disease should not be 

 used for breeding purposes, and those which are actually suflfer- 

 ing from tuberculosis should in the first place be isolated, so 

 that the malady may not spread. If very slightly afiected, oxen 

 may be as quickly as possible fattened and slaughtered, and 

 their flesh, //*yr^^ //-ow local disease^ may be utilized. We 

 agree with others, of whom the chief in this country is Dr. 

 Fleming, in strongly asserting that, if the disease is advanced, it 

 is not safe to use the milk or the flesh of tuberculous oxen. 

 Certainly any part of the body in which tubercles are actually 

 present should be avoided like poison. Yet it is thought to be 

 not practicable at present to be very stringent in regard to 

 using the flesh of tuberculous animals. There are few oxen 

 which have been kept for some time in cowsheds, and fed and 

 milked in the ordinary way, which are not tainted with the 

 disease. Of course the danger is the greater in proportion as 

 the dwellings and general management are bad. No one could 

 countenance the use of the flesh of cattle suflfering from the 

 advanced stages of tuberculosis. 



It may be said (although it has not been definitely proved) 

 that human tuberculosis can be produced by eating tubercular 



15 * 



