562 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The thorough science of the Germans is universally respected ; 

 their laws covering every grade of meat inspection are admirable, 

 and the result of the best thought and scientific study of men well 

 able, therefore, to dictate ; yet at present there are no laws in 

 Germany especially relating to the subject in hand. The nation 

 is not idle, however, and is carefully watching and investigating 

 the experiments in progress in other countries, and, as an eminent 

 scientist of our own land has perhaps well said, when they do 

 adopt measures for the restriction of tuberculosis in cattle they will 

 probably be wisely economic, more efficacious and in every way 

 better than have as yet been attempted. I, therefore, advocate 

 wise delay and a careful study of the shortly forthcoming recom- 

 mendation to the German government now being prepared by one 

 Avho has recently returned from Denmark, where he was sent to 

 make an exhaustive study of Bang's work, methods and results. 

 In these recommendations we may find many valuable suggestions 

 applicable to our country with but slight alteration. At least, 

 they inay offer us new and better lines upon Avhich to proceed. 

 Nothing is to be gained by extreme haste. Tuberculosis has been 

 of very gradual growth in our cattle, and it is possible that its 

 decrease and final control must be also a gradual process. The 

 peculiar nature of the disease seems to indicate this ; it is not an 

 acute infectious disease, and, therefore, should not be treated as 

 such. 



Before proceeding too hastily, would it not be judicious to 

 inquire thoughtfully into the cause of the present crusade against 

 tuberculous cattle? I therefore suggest the following for careful 

 consideration : — 



Why the slaughter of so many tuberculous cattle and the waste 

 of so much good food ? If the answer to this question is that it 

 is to protect human beings against tuberculosis, we must then con- 

 sider the following questions : Are tuberculous cattle and their 

 products a cause of tuberculosis in man? If so, to what extent? 

 Are there not other causes far more dangerous, and hence much 

 more important to control ? 



In partial answer to the above queries it may be said that, 

 although many cases of tuberculosis in human beings are thought 

 to be directly traceable to cattle, not one, in the vast literature 

 upon the subject of tuberculosis, has been authentically estab- 

 lished, so that this question is still an open one. On the contrary, 

 it is universally acknowledged that tuberculous people, especially 

 through their sputum, are an immense source of infection to other 

 people and to themselves. That tuberculosis in man may, in some 

 iustaiices, be referable to tuberculous cattle, I firmly believe ; but 



