19O9 MILK COMMISSION. 127 



provincial and municipal authorities should at least safeguard the milk supply for 

 human consumption. While probably nothing short of a general tuberculin test 

 will completely eradicate the disease from the dairy herds, we are aware that the 

 compulsory application of this test throughout the Province at the present time 

 would not be a practical policy, although of the opinion that at no distant date 

 power should be given municipal councils to enact by-laws for the tuberculin test- 

 ing of dairy cattle supplying milk to the municipality and for the removal from 

 the dairy herds of all those reacting. It is difficult to persuade dairymen to remove 

 five or six possibly dangerous cows to secure protection from one certainly danger- 

 ous. In other words, while ten or twelve might react to tuberculin, only one or two 

 might be giving actually contaminated milk. But point out a cow undoubtedly 

 diseased and undoubtedly giving contaminated milk, and its retention would be 

 too abhorrent to be thought of for a moment. 



In 1896 an attempt was made, as shown in our review of the laws, to give local 

 boards of health power to enact by-laws requiring tuberculin testing, but the op- 

 position was so strong and continuous that the enactment was of no practical value 

 for reasons hitherto explained. We have, therefore, endeavoured to confine our- 

 selves 1 to a moderate recommendation, in the hope that something of real value will 

 be done. We believe a start should be made along the lines of the British plan 

 by absolutely excluding from dairy herds all cows suffering from tuberculosis of 

 the udder or showing any physical signs of the disease, or whose milk on examina- 

 tion is shown to contain tubercle bacilli. This will not remove all tuberculous 

 cows, but it should remove the most dangerous, and will be a step in advance. This 

 work could be conducted as part of a system of inspection by a veterinarian. 



But an equally important factor in the eradication of tuberculosis woulcl be 

 the improved sanitation^ which a system of rigid inspection would usher in. There 

 is no doubt but that one of the most potent causes of the disease in this Province is 1 

 the low, dark, close, foul-smelling stables in which the cattle are housed. There 

 is equally no doubt but that one of the most potent enemies of disease is fresh air 

 and sunshine. Anything that will improve the light and ventilation will go a 

 long way to improve the health of the animals. The tuberculous cow must go. 



SHOULD ALSO GUARD AGAINST OTHER DISEASES. 



There are other diseases which unfortunately sometimes lurk in the milk sup- 

 ply. Of thes'e the chief are typhoid fever, scarlet fever and diphtheria. Several 

 health officers throughout the Province informed us of epidemics which within their 

 experience had been traced to the milk supply. John W. Trask, of the Public 

 Health and Marine Hospital Service in Washington, has compiled a long list of 

 milk-borne epidemics extending over a period of years, which throws some light 

 on the question of prevalence. His list of milk-borne typhoid epidemics aggregates 

 179, and includes 107 in the United States, 43 in Great Britain, 23 in Europe, 3 

 in Australia, 1 in New Zealand and 2 in Canada. Scarlet fever epidemics number 

 51 ? 25 in the United States and 26 in Great Britain; diphtheria epidemics aggre- 

 gated 25, 15 in the United States and 8 in England. The history of each epidemic 

 is given, showing the trail of the disease along a milk route and showing also that 

 as soon as 1 the supply was stopped, the epidemic stopped. Some authorities estimate 

 that twenty-five per cent, of typhoid is milk-borne. 



These figures indicate a seriousness which warrants a demand that all reason- 

 able precaution should be taken to safeguard the supply and a stipulation to this 



