480 
koch’s tuberculosis conclusions. 
pushed their work of destruction until it has mounted to mill¬ 
ions of dollars, despite the protests of scientists of high standing 
who denied the alleged danger. This was the anabasis—the 
o-oinof up against the husbandmen of the world whose herds fur- 
nisli milk and meat for the sustenance of the people. 
But the katabasis has come. The going down has begun. 
In London last week before the scientists of the world assembled 
at the British Congress on Tuberculosis Koch recanted. He 
had previously affirmed the transmissibility of tuberculosis to 
man from the meat and milk of animals. After a decade of 
investigation he now declares with unqualified positiveness that 
“ human tuberculosis aud bovine tuberculosis are radically differ¬ 
ent diseases .” He declares that he has absolutely demonstrated 
that cattle cannot be infected with human tuberculosis and that 
he has satisfied himself that it is impossible for bovine tubercu¬ 
losis to be transmitted to man. The danger of infection from 
milk he considered u so slight as to be unworthy of precautionary 
measures ”! 
Now watch the noble army of matadors march down the hill. 
But not with its banners of death’s-head and cross-bones flying 
in the breeze ; squirt-guns and pole-axes will be carried at u re¬ 
verse arms.” The man who first furnished inspiration and 
weapon has spiked its guns and it will fall back in a rout. 
It should be remembered that Koch’s London declaration is 
a recantation, a reversal of view, a signal surrender to stubborn 
facts discovered in years of investigation. But there are many 
scientists who have long held this clear vision. They have 
been in the minority, it is true, because the crowd blindly fol¬ 
lows constituted authority. The theory of the transmissibility 
of tuberculosis through milk and meat has been held as “ not 
proved ” by many and has been vehemently disputed by some, 
armed with the facts of human experience and scientific investi¬ 
gation. Now that the acknowledged great authority on tuber¬ 
culosis has cast aside his first-held views and joined the minor¬ 
ity, a New York physician is doubtless correct in saying that 
“ the enlightened minority of the medical profession, which has 
maintained that tuberculosis cannot be contracted from animal 
substances, will speedily become a majority of the profession.” 
But even assuming that some extremists, with the bigotry 
that holds to a preconceived opinion in the face of new and con¬ 
vincing evidence, try to continue the scare against milk and 
meat, in what position do the matadors find themselves? 
Simply this : standing on disputed ground, with the most emi- 
