96 PRACTICAL DAIRY BACTERIOLOGY 



This school recognizes that for young children, who live largely 

 upon milk and whose resisting powers are slight, milk is a 

 serious danger, but it does not look upon it as of much danger 

 to adults. Between these two somewhat radically different 

 views it is too early to decide definitely. It will be recognized 

 that the adoption of one or the other attitude will make a great 

 difference in the methods of fighting this disease. If Behring's 

 idea is correct, tuberculosis among mankind is to be fought by 

 getting rid of tuberculous cows, and to do this he has devised 

 a method of preventive inoculation, which he thinks is efficient 

 in protecting cattle from the disease. If the other view is cor- 

 rect, the disease must be fought essentially as it is to-day, by 

 protecting mankind from infection from other human patients, 

 and chiefly from the sputum. 



One or two facts bearing upon this question it is necessary 

 to mention. Tuberculosis is common among nations drinking 

 cow's milk, but it is also common among some nations that do 

 not use cow's milk as a food. Japan, Greenland and Turkey, 

 for example, do not use cow's milk but suffer from this dis- 

 ease. 1 It is also important to note that although tuberculosis 

 among cattle has been on the increase in the last 25 years, 

 tuberculosis among men has been upon an equally constant 

 decline. This decline in the disease among men has probably 

 been rightly attributed to improved hygienic conditions. It is 

 certainly not due to decreased chance of contagion from tuber- 

 culous milk. It is interesting to note that the decrease in the 

 disease has not affected the intestinal tuberculosis among chil- 

 dren, a form which, more than any other, would naturally be 

 attributed to milk. 



In the light of all these facts it must be admitted that the 

 milk of tuberculous cows is a source of danger, although we 

 may not yet agree as to the extent of the danger. However 

 great or however small the danger may be the desirability of 



iHeyman. Zeit. f. Hyg., xlviii., p. 45, 1905. 



