98 



THE MILK QUESTION 



of tubercle bacilli in milk would be much higher than this 

 if our methods for their detection were more delicate. 



Professor Delepine found that the milk sent by rail to 

 Manchester from 272 farms contained tubercle bacilli from 

 26, or 9.5 per cent. Wherever these investigations have 

 been carried out, similar results have been obtained both 

 in Europe and in this country. It is clear that the common 

 market milk furnished all large cities, and probably most 

 small towns, very often contains tubercle bacilli. 



William G. Savage 1 submits interesting figures showing 

 the number of samples of milk in English cities containing 

 tubercle bacilli during the past ten years. The Manchester 

 figures are the most important, as they deal with a very 

 large number of samples extending over a series of years. 

 The table shows that there has been some diminution in the 

 percentage of tuberculous samples, but this diminution 

 has not been continuous or very marked. Thus the amount 

 of tuberculous milk for Manchester drops to about six per 

 cent, and to about nine per cent for Sheffield, and there it 

 remains. It is therefore evident that the English method 

 of dealing with bovine tuberculosis is a failure so far as may 

 be judged by the figures in the following table: 



TUBERCLE BACILLI IN MIXED MILK SAMPLES (PERCENTAGES) 



If the bovine tubercle bacillus is dangerous to man, we 

 are, then, face to face with a real hazard. We must, there- 

 1 Public Health, no. 4, vol. xxv, Jan.. 1912, p. 128. 



