500 
3 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
\ 
gious, while such Germans as Johne, Ponfick, Rosenback, 
Friedberger, and such veterinarians of the great Berlin Thier- 
arztlichen Nozkschule as Frohner, unitedly, and without fear 
or apology, denominate the disease as infectious ? What facts 
has he learned in the slaughter-houses of Berlin that demon¬ 
strate thenon-transmissibility of the disease? 
Granting the transmissibility of actinomycosis, and thus 
supporting the above classification, we are prepared to con¬ 
sider the three members of the group jointly in their relation 
to meat and food inspection. The use of the flesh of solipeds 
has not gained sufficient popular sanction in this country to 
warrant us in consuming your time by referring to glanders. 
Admitting the identity of human tuberculosis and acti¬ 
nomycosis with these two diseases in lower animals, and the 
proof of their transmissibility, the question which confronts 
us is, what, if any, parts of affected animals are safe for human 
food, or can be readily made inocuous ? 
Upon this question there is a great variation of opinion, 
rendering any definite conclusions which would be accept 
able to all extremely difficult, if not impossible. 
We have taken the stand that in these chronic or pas 
sive forms of disease the sole danger to the consumer of the 
meat or milk of affected animals exists in the living, virile 
micro-organisms, so we are at once brought to inquire in what 
parts of the animal body do the germs exist, and in what parts 
are they absent. 
Many contend that only those parts which are evidently 
affected should be condemned and destroyed. This is appar¬ 
ently the idea of Dr. Schwartzkopff in relation to tuberculosis 
in his remarks on his paper of last year, but a careful study of 
his utterances leaves one in doubt as to his real belief. 
The warrant for the custom of condemning and destroy¬ 
ing parts evidently affected with one of these maladies and 
allowing the remainder of the carcass to be used for human 
food must rest upon one of two propositions: ist. That the 
micro-organisms exist only in those parts where their exist¬ 
ence is plainly evidenced by the agglomerations; or, 2d. 
Upon the theory that meat from diseased animals must be 
