prevention of tuberculosis. 
107 
know that all animal bodies in a healthy condition have a great 
disease-resisting power, and it requires more than the mere pres¬ 
ence of the bacteria to cause the disease. In other words, the 
bacteria is only a small part of the disease. As a contributor 
to the Medical Record (September 2, 1893) truly says, : “There 
are other factors equally as important in the causation of the 
malady, as the part played by the microbe.” 
In the report of the Congress for the Study of Tuberculosis 
held in Paris in 1891, it is said, “If there is one thing above all 
others that is learned from the many discussions upon this well- 
worn, but still obscure subject of tuberculosis, it is that the 
bacilli alone does not cause the disease. The host is obviously 
not the least important element.” 
We must all acknowledge that there is in the constitution 
of the individual before bacilliary infection takes place, some¬ 
thing that determines the fact of infection, and that largely 
determines the course and character of the results of infection. 
Parasites thrive only under certain conditions. Remove the 
conditions which are favorable for their propagation, and they 
disappear. “You take away their lives when you take away 
the means by which they live,” has been well said. In other 
words, build up the health and constitution of the animal body, 
increase the disease-resisting powers, and you are taking a long 
step in the right direction. On the other hand, pay no attention 
to the general health of the animal, allow its general health to 
run down, weaken its constitution by breeding young, and 
breeding continuously, force the milk supply, and continue milk¬ 
ing while the cow is in calf, feed high and give little exercise, 
keep in a close, hot barn in unsanitary surroundings, and you 
produce an animal that is just in the right condition to contract 
disease, yet these are exactly the conditions usually found in 
the average dairy farm. 
Breeders and farmers pay little or no attention to the general 
health and constitution of their dairy stock. They seem to con¬ 
sider excessive milking qualities to be the sole aim and purpose 
of breeding. I had a good illustration of this the other day. My 
