GERMS IN RELATION TO MILK 31 



losis in the cow a source of the disease in man through drinking 

 milk of tuberculous cows, it is impossible to say, but from recent 

 studies it is probable that from 10 to 23 per cent, of tuberculosis 

 in children owes its origin to milk, and in consequence it is essen- 

 tial that all cows should be tested with tuberculin, to exclude the 

 possibility of tuberculosis, before the milk is used for any purpose. 

 * Koch states that of all the human deaths from tuberculosis, 

 eleven twelfths are owing to consumption (tuberculosis of the 

 lungs) and in this form of the disease the bovine type of germ 

 has not been found. Therefore he does not attribute consumption 

 to drinking milk. 



Theobald Smith attributes half of the cases of tuberculosis of 

 the abdomen and of the glands of the neck in children to the bovine 

 type of bacilli and therefore to milk. 



Nathan Raw ascribes tuberculosis of the lungs, larynx and in- 

 testines in man to the human type of bacillus ; while human tuber- 

 culosis of the peritoneum, glands, joints, brain and skin, together 

 with the acute miliary form, he believes are .due to the bovine 

 bacillus conveyed to man only in milk. 



The germs of tuberculosis are not found only in milk, but in 

 cream, cheese and butter. 



Garget or inflammation of the udder (mastitis) is caused by 

 external injuries and by infection with various germs which cause 

 inflammation elsewhere in the body (as streptococci, staphylococci, 

 colon bacilli and diplococci). These germs escape in the milk and 

 so give rise to disease in persons consuming it. The milk is al- 

 tered in character and is apt to be lessened in amount. It contains 

 small whitish or yellowish lumps (pus and fibrin) and is often 

 bloody, slimy or stringy. Such milk may have a bad odor and taste 

 and may quickly curdle. 



The commonest disorders produced in man by drinking milk 



* Internat. Congress of Tuberculosis, 1908. 



