HOW CAN WE CONTROL THE PREVALENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG CATTLE? 553 
their rights ; and, if we attempt at the present time to enforce 
active measures involving the business of the dairymen in the 
destruction of a part of their herds, before they become aware of 
the justice of such proceedings, we will succeed only in making 
a miserable failure, and endanger all practical efforts for the 
next generation. 
Even most of our physicians and public health officials are 
not sufficiently well informed to endorse the actions that will be 
necessary to secure effective results. 
In the medical profession this matter of sanitary protection 
against tuberculosis infection in its infancy ; by many of them 
the dangers are depicted in a horrifying manner, and by others 
they are almost entirely ignored. 
Until the medical profession obtains some recognition in its 
endeavor to protect human life, what have we to hope for ? In 
their efforts human lives are at stake alone, regardless of financial 
values. In our efforts financial values are predominant in the 
minds of those directly and primarily affected. 
Our dairy interests are very great. The dairy products of 
Illinois in 1892 amounted to the value of $75,691,765 in 1893, 
$90,000,000 in round numbers ; before we antagonize this great 
industry in any way that may seem arbitrary we should count 
the cost. Invested capital recognizes no sentiment, nor will it 
tolerate any apparent infringement upon its rights. 
While this agitation regarding the prevalence of tuberculosis 
among cattle is a legitimate and proper one, we should be 
guarded in our assertions, and confine ourselves to statements' 
of fact. Some there are who dwell upon the great danger re¬ 
sulting to the human family from the consumption of meat and 
milk—a danger that has been exaggerated out of all propor¬ 
tion—and if continued may result in the closing of all foreign 
markets against the beef and dairy products of this country, for 
it will lead foreign nations to believe that all our herds are 
largely tuberculous. We ought to be just toward ourselves, and 
avoid magnifying a fact that is sufficiently serious to be worthy 
of our attention when viewed in the light of truth. 
