HISTORY 129 



the conclusion that bovine tuberculosis is of less significance 

 in its influence upon public health than has heretofore been 

 thought, and of more importance as a rapidly spreading and 

 destructive disease among cattle. It is not proven, however, 

 that the human species is not afi^ected with the bacteria of 

 bovine tuberculosis. The circumstantial and direct evidence 

 is very conclusive that it is, but that such infections are not so 

 numerous as previously supposed. Concerning its transmis- 

 sion, the conclusion seems to be warranted, that the virus of 

 tuberculosis spreads very largely among men and cattle from 

 individual to individual of the same species rather than from 

 species to species. 



S 107. Extent of tuberculosis, especially among cat- 

 tle and swine. The committee on cattle diseases and animal 

 food of the American Public Health Association for 1901 

 reported the appended statistics concerning the extent and in- 

 crease of tuberculosis in cattle and swine in various countries. 



" The slaughter house statistics of Prussia show 14.6 per 

 cent of the cattle and 2. 14 per cent of the swine to be tubercu- 

 lous. In Saxony the percentage is 29.13 with cattle and 3.10 

 with swine. In the city of Leipzig the figures are 36.4 for 

 cattle and 2.17 for swine. (Siedamgrotzky ). Of 20, 850 ani- 

 mals in Belgium tested with tuberculin in 1896, 48.88 per cent 

 reacted. Of 25,439 tested in Denmark from 1893 to 1895, 

 49.3 per cent reacted : and of 67,263 tested from 1S96 to 1898, 

 32,8 per cent reacted (Bang). An examination of 20,930 cat- 

 tle in Great Britain, either slaughtered and examined post- 

 mortem or tested with tuberculin, showed 5,441 or 26 per cent 

 affected with tuberculosis. M'Fadyean estimates that 30 per 

 cent of the cows in Great Britain are tuberculous. Figures 

 available in the United States do not cover a sufficient area of 

 our territory to allow us to make a reliable estimate of the ex- 

 tent of tuberculosis in milch cows." 



"Our beef cattle as they come to the large packing houses, 

 are yet comparatively free from tuberculosis. Of 4,841 , 166 cattle 

 slaughtered in the year 1900, under Federal meat inspection, 

 but 5,279 or o.ii per cent were sufficiently affected to cause 

 the condemnation of any part of the carcass. Of 23,336,884 



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