128 
HAROLD C. ERNST. 
by Dr. Brush before the New York x\cademy of Medicine, on 
April 29, 1889 (Boston Med. and Snrg. Journal , CXX. p. 467 ct 
seq.). In this paper the author states that after several years 
of close study of the affection, including a consideration of all 
accessible statistics, and the habits of the people among whom 
it prevails, he has arrived at the conclusion that the only con¬ 
stantly associated factor is found in the in-bred bovine species. 
If a community was closely connected with in-bred dairy cat¬ 
tle, tuberculosis prevailed, and, vice versa,\i there were no in- 
bred dairy cattle there was no tuberculosis. In the discussion 
following this paper many objections were raised. Dr. Brush 
went on to say that he believed that the disease was originally 
derived from the bovine species. He did not believe that less 
than fifty per cent, of all dairy cattle were affected by it, 
while the statistics he had quoted showed that wherever there 
was a race of people without cattle phthisis was unknown. 
He believed, furthermore, that if all the cattle in this country 
were to be killed, the disease would finally die out entirely 
here. 
Such statements as these are a revelation to the generality 
of practitioners, and may seem to be somewhat forced, but 
they certainly indicate, together with the statistics upon which 
they are based, the existence of a greater danger than has 
been fairly realized. That the danger from the consumption 
of milk coming from cows affected with tuberculosis has been 
understood by individuals at least, and that, too, before the 
announcement of Koch’s discovery, is very well shown by ex¬ 
tracts from a letter which I take the liberty of quoting here. 
The gentleman writing it is a veterinarian in practice in 
Providence, R. I., and the observations were made and the 
advice given more than ten years ago. That portion of his 
letter bearing upon the subject in hand is as follows: 
“ Mr. W., June 15, 1878, called me to see a white 'and red 
cow. Coughs and is short of breath and wheezes. Pulse 60; 
respiration 14, and heavy at the flanks; temperature 104°. 
Diminished resonance of right lung, but increased in part of 
the same. Emphysematous crackling over left lung and dull¬ 
ness on percussion. Diagnosed a case of tuberculosis and 
advised the destruction of the animal. 
