408 
TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING 
thirty-six different cows, all of them presenting more or less distinct signs of 
tuberculosis of the lungs or elsewhere, but none of them having marked signs of 
disease of the udder of any kind.” .... 
‘ ‘ Of these samples of milk there were found seventeen in which the bacilli 
of tuberculosis were present; that is to say, the actual virus was seen in 31.5 per 
cent, of the samples examined. These seventeen samples of milk came from 
ten different cows, showing a percentage of detected infectiousness of 27.7 per 
cent. 
“ Rabbits inoculated with milk from cow, undoubtedly tuberculous but pre¬ 
senting no udder lesions, resulted in an infection of 10.2 per cent. ; in guinea 
pigs, 28.57 per cent.; calves, 40 per cent.” 
It was also shown that the milk was infectious by inoculation experiments 
in 50 per cent, of the cows from which the milk came.” 
The conclusions drawn by Dr. Ernst are: 
‘ ‘ First , and emphatically, that the milk from cows affepted with tubercu¬ 
losis in any part of the body may contain the virus of the disease. 
Second , That the virus is present whether there is disease of the udder or not. 
Third, That there is no ground for the assertion that there must be a lesion 
of the udder before the milk can contain the infection of tuberculosis. 
Fourth , That, on the contrary, the bacilli of tuberculosis are present and ac¬ 
tive in a very large proportion of cases in the milk of cows affected with tuber¬ 
culosis, but with no discoverable lesions of the udder.” 
For the benefit of those who are inclined to belittle the importance of scien¬ 
tific investigations from a practical standpoint, it may be said that Professor 
Robert Koch made the statement before the International Medical Congress, in 
Berlin, last month, that as a result of his investigations upon tuberculosis, he 
had found a substance which has the power of promoting the growth of tubercle 
bacilli, not only in test tubes, but in the body of an animal. He says, “ My ex¬ 
periments are not completed, and I can only say this much about them; that 
guinea pigs, which, as is well known, are extraordinarily susceptible to tubercu¬ 
losis, if exposed to the influence of this substance seem to react to the inoculation 
of tuberculous virus, and that in guinea-pigs suffering from general tuberculosis, 
even to a high degree, the morbid process can be brought completely to a stand¬ 
still without the body being in any way injuriously affected.” 
I noticed in the telegraphic news from Berlin the other evening that Koch 
was about to experiment upon human beings affected with tuberculosis. 
HOG OHOLEEA AND SWINE PLAGUE. 
You are all aware, doubtless, of the controversy which has been going on 
with regard to the etiology of certain diseases of swine : As to whether there 
are two distinct diseases of swine, as described in the reports of the Bureau of 
Animal Industry; or as to whether there is but one disease, as contended by Bil¬ 
lings, which he calls swine plague. 
In December, 1889, Prof. Welch published a “preliminary report of inves¬ 
tigations concerning the causation of hog cholera.” It has been my good fortune 
to be associated with him in this work for the past two years, and I can, therefore, 
speak from experience in the matter. 
The conclusion has been definitely reached that there are two separate and 
