366 BULLETIN No. 161 [November, 



it is that cattle and other farm animals are infected with tuberculo- 

 sis from the presence of these germs in water is not surely known. 

 The common watering tank may become a source of infection. Here 

 the tubercle bacilli live among the algae and in the decaying organic 

 matter for more than a year. Calmette points out that constant 

 and repeated infections are the most dangerous. Cattle would thus 

 be subjected when a watering trough was infected. 



Another source of danger to man is in the use of phosphates 

 made by grinding up dead tuberculous animals (which is done 

 rather extensively in the United States), this fertilizer often being 

 used in vegetable gardening. One can easily conceive how a small 

 piece of tuberculous tissue containing many dozens of tuberculous 

 germs could be made to adhere to an onion or a radish, especially 

 in a slightly bruised place, and be carried directly to the consumer. 

 That these germs would remain alive and virulent during such a 

 circuit there is no question. 



It is seen that tubercle bacilli in butter kept at 10 C. below zero 

 retain their virulence longer than when kept at the higher temper- 

 ature. This temperature of 10 C. apparently has no injurious 

 effect on these germs, while the antagonism of other organisms 

 is largely prevented. Butter can be kept in cold storage for 

 months in an excellent condition, but this in no way lessens the 

 danger from tubercle bacilli that were originally introduced into 

 the butter. All such dairy products should be tested by govern- 

 ment officials not only for quality but also for the presence of tu- 

 bercle bacilli. 



1. Abba e Barelli, Sulla resist, del bac. tub. negli sputi sopra di- 

 parimenti e dentro le biancherie, Rivista d'igiene e sauita publica 12: 

 115, 1901. Cited by Treskinskaja. 



2. Aiello und Drago, Cited by Sobernheim, G., in Kolle-Wasser- 

 mann Handbuch der Pathogenen Mikroorganismen 2: 28. 



3. Alexander, John, Das Verhalten des kaninchens gegeniiber den 

 verschiedenen Infektionswegen bei verschiedenen Typen des Tuber- 

 kelbacillus. Ztschr. f. Hyg. 60: 467-478. 1908. 



4. Annett, H. E., Tubercular expectoration in public thoroughfare 

 an experimental inquiry. Thompson-Yates Lab. Reports 4: part 2, 

 395. 1902. Cited by Rosenau, 6th Internat. Cong, on Tuberculosis. 

 1908. 



5. Anon, Sterilization of polluted water by ultraviolet rays at Mar- 

 seilles, France. Eng. News 64: 633. 1911. 



6. Arloing, S., Influence cle la lumiere snr la vegetation et les 

 proprietes pathogones clu B. antJiracis. Compt. rend, de 1'Acad. des 

 Sci. 100: 378-381. 1885. 



