October f, T889.] Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist." 
3d 
omitting to appoint a qualified person whose duty 
it would be to examine the meat and milk of cattle 
that are supplied for human consumption, and look 
for and try to mitigate, the causes that tend to the 
production of unsound food which is the fruitful 
source of disease among the human inhabitants in the 
Island ? None. For when the most eminent authorities 
have laid down that certain diseases are transmissible 
from animals to man, and since medical men recog- 
nise the existence of such diseases in Oeylon, there 
is no excuse for failing to provide supervision — the 
strictest and most searching^- over cattle-buyers and 
slaughter-houses. Time and study are necessary 
for the practical experience on which such supervision 
must he based, and it is needless to lean on the 
excuse that the scraps of attention of medical men, 
and police and sanitary officers supply the necessary 
supervision. The matter to be dealt with cannot be so 
easily or carelessly disposed of. It is a subject which 
requires close and undivided attention, and a deal of 
study, existing as it does in a country where circum- 
stances and surroundings in relation to Veterinary 
Science have hitherto never been disinterestedly or 
conscientiously considered. 
The Congress for the study of human and animal 
tuberculosis, which met at Paris in July last year, 
read and discussed a large number of papers submit- 
ted by experts from many part of the world, collated 
and examined the investigations of many observers, 
visited hospitals, veterinary schools, and museums of 
hygeine, examined sick animals, performed numerous 
postmortems, and studied many disinfecting hygienic 
appliances. Testimony was abundant of the efficacy 
of antiseptics in checking, or preventing further 
development of, the disease. Several instances were 
recorded of the milk of one infected cow, although 
mixed with that of healthy cows, having communi- 
cated tuberculosis. It was unanimously adopted at 
the meeting that it was necessary to submit dairies 
to a special surveillance, so that it may be ascertained 
that the cows are not affected with contagions 
diseases capable of communication to man. 
Dr. Latham in the Harveian oration stated last 
year that one humra being out of every seven dies 
from pulmonary tuberculosis ; and Principal Walley, 
in his address as President of the Scottish Metropoli- 
tan Veterinary Medical Society, stated that tubercu- 
losis was on the increase, and that the possible 
danger, especially to young children, from drinking 
the milk of tuberculous cows marked it as a disease 
with which the Government should at once cope. 
The danger, says the Lancet, would appear to apply 
much more to the milk, and we must largely trust to 
the inspection of cow-houses and dairies, which it is 
to be hoped will before long eliminate from amongst 
those cows which supply milk for human consump- 
ti m any that are obviously suffering from tuberculosis. 
Prof ssor Williams of the New Veterinary College, 
Kdinburgh, spnaking at Newcastle last summer, said 
that many s n-ious diseases in animals, by proper 
■limitary arrangements, had been almost entirely got 
rid of. Others which si ill inflicted heavy losses, 
with proper preventative means, might be extermin- 
ated, while intelligent management was destined to 
abate the severity of others. More knowledge and 
care on the part of stock-owners, prevention of the 
use of milk of such animals as were affected, and 
the condemning of tuberculous carcases should, in 
the opinion of the Professor, dimmish the occurrence 
of tuberculosis alike in man and animals. 
Last year an eminent veterinarian and an equally 
well-known sanitarian in the persons of Professor 
McCall and Dr. Russel were appointed to report on 
tuberculosis. The following are some of the sug- 
gestions contained in their report : — 
" Sanitary inspectors act under the guidance of 
the Medical Officer and Chief Sanitary Inspector. 
Meat inspectors should in like manner act on the lines 
laid down by veterinary and medical authorities. 
Following their general instructions they would acquire 
practical knowledge sufficient for their guidance. 
The function of the meat inspector ought to be solely 
that of detaining diseased or suspicious carcases until 
such time as they are inspected by the chief inspector. 
This chief inspector ought to be either a qualified veteri- 
nary surgeon or a medical man. It seems right, consider- 
ing the important interests at stake, both public and 
private, that the confiscation should not be left to the 
judgment of a constable. We propose therefore that for 
this reason as well as to secure uniformity and efficiency 
in all slaughter-houses, a chief inspector should be 
appointed, who, if a medical man, should be attached 
to the Sanitary Department, and if a veterinary 
surgeon to the chief inspector under the Contagious 
Diseases Act. It would be necessary to appoint 
competent inspectors, and to prescribe rules for 
frequent inspection for the detection of infected 
animals. We are strongly of opinion that by some 
means specific power should be obtained to inspect dairy 
cattle for detection of tuberculosis, and prevent the 
use of the milk of affected animals for human food. 
As regards tuberculosis especially the securing of 
healthy conditions for cows as regards ventilation 
and cleanliness is essential to the stamping-out of the 
disease." 
With the foregoing evidence and recommendations 
before us, there can be but one opionion on this 
matter : that there is much danger to human beings 
through ottle-disease, and that this danger can be 
averted, or at any rate greatly mitigated by supervision 
by proper inspectors over cattle-sheds and slaughter- 
houses. Most of the suggestions contained in the 
report from which I have quoted apply with a few 
modifications as well to Ceylon as to the city of Glas- 
gow. We should at least have the chief inspector 
with the necessary qualifications for the desired 
supervision and study of cattle-desease as it exists with 
us; and his work will no doubt be the means of 
raising up slaughter-house keepers of a better class, 
as well as of instilling a practical knowledge of cattle 
