36 



Scientific Proceedings (70). 



or possessed of increased resistance to tuberculosis. Our previous 

 works 1 on immunity and tuberculosis led me to endeavor to ascer- 

 tain to what extent milch cows, that gave no clinical signs of 

 tuberculosis, and yet reacted to tuberculin, could be considered 

 immune or possessed of increased resistance. Furthermore, to 

 ascertain if the milk and serum of such "reactors" gave evidence 

 of possessing antibodies or other healing bodies not contained in 

 the ordinary milk and serum of cows not infected with tubercu- 

 losis. It is occasionally observed that if a cow which has reacted 

 to tuberculin, be allowed to live, it thrives, apparently even better 

 than some of the non-infected members of the herd. Ten of 

 these "reactors" which were in especially prime condition were 

 carefully selected because they thrived, and gave the physical 

 evidence of having withstood the natural infection, in short because 

 they appeared to be immune or the disease arrested. The milk when 

 injected into guinea-pigs did not produce tuberculosis. The milk 

 was also tested by the Bordet-Gengou phenomenon for tuberculosis 

 and gave negative reactions. The blood-serum of nine were also ex- 

 amined for this reaction; four were definitely negative, four gave a 

 weak reaction, and one a decided reaction but not strong enough for 

 diagnosis. One of these cows went dry and the milk of another 

 was excluded because it readily killed mice in comparatively 

 small doses, when injected subcutaneously. The serum of these 

 cows, when added to glycerin-bouillon cultures of the tubercle 

 bacillus did not inhibit their growth. The ten autopsies on these 

 "reactor" cows showed slight localized lesions in the lungs, and 

 in the bronchial and posterior mediastinal glands in nine cows 

 and in one cow slight generalized lesions were found. 



Seven moderately advanced cases of adult pulmonary tubercu- 

 losis were fed daily a quart of this "reactor" milk over a period 

 of three months. They gained an average of nine pounds. They 

 increased this average gain during the next two months and ten 

 days to 16 pounds. Six controls, i. e., similar cases living under 

 like conditions were given pasteurized milk, during the same 



1 Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 

 1910, VII, pp. 77-79; ibid., pp. 104-7; ibid., VIII, pp. 24-28; ibid., pp. 41-43; 

 ibid., Feb. 21, 1912, IX, pp. 49-51; ibid., Feb. 19, 1913, Vol. X, No. 3, pp. 103-107; 

 ibid., Oct. 15, 1913; ibid., June 6, 1914, Vol. XI, No. 6. Collected Studies 1913, 

 Research Lab., Dept. of Health, N. Y. City, N. Y. 



