AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 125 



but vaccination is almost universally practiced in civilized coun- 

 tries in spite of them, and thousands of lives are saved by it. 



Tuberculosis is by far the greatest scourge among diseases that 

 has cursed this earth through all the past centuries as far back as 

 history extends. As the effects of light, air, food and exercise 

 upon the health of the individual have come to be realized many 

 lives have been saved, and those sick, even with consumption, have 

 been restored to health. But it was with the discovery iu 1884 of 

 the tubercle bacillus and the establishment of the fact that it was 

 the active agent in producing all forms of tuberculosis that the 

 foundation was laid for substantial progress iu overcoming this 

 disease. Whether it will ever be possible to cure a large propor- 

 tion of cases is still in doubt, but it has become entirely evident 

 that it is possible to prevent its attack. The deep seated convic- 

 tions of centuries are not easily changed, and necessary means 

 cannot immediately be put in operation. There has to be 

 time for the popular intelligence to appreciate the need and 

 the advantage to be gained. Considering that only a little 

 more than ten years have elapsed since the important discovery I 

 have mentioned, was made, great progress has already been made. 

 Houses in which consumptives have lived are disinfected, some 

 degree of isolation of tuberculous patients is attempted, and the 

 food supply is watched that it may not carry disease. That these 

 precautions are everywhere or even generally adopted, is not true, 

 but they mark a decided advance and give promise of the time 

 when, with a more general knowledge of the means to be used and 

 greater appreciation of the advantage to be gained we shall have 

 laws, well sustained by public sentiment, that will successfully con- 

 trol the spread of tuberculosis among man and beasts. When this 

 time shall co-me many years will be added to the average duration 

 of human life, and it would seem that the way is prepared for 

 bringing about this desired end almost within the next generation. 

 The time must come, and should come soon, when every case of 

 tuberculosis shall be attributed to gross carelessness or almost 

 criminal negligence in not using well recognized and reliable pre- 

 ventive precautions. In this regard we wish to deal with a phase 

 of the subject that has vital relations to public health, and is also 

 vastly important from an economic standpoint. However opinions 

 may differ in regard to the absolute relation between human and bovine 

 tuberculosis it is generallj' conceded that tuberculosis of cattle affects 

 in some degree the public health, and if it were not for the pecuniary 



