656 
B. F. KAUPP. 
theory has been advanced that the bacillus has the power of se¬ 
creting a substance which weakens the cells and thus makes its 
entrance possible. After gaining entrance through the buccal 
mucous membrane, the bacillus is probably seized by a leuco¬ 
cyte, or at least gains entrance to the lymph vessels, which 
drain the mouth cavity and which empty into the ganglious of 
the head. The submaxillary receiving the most of the lymph 
from the buccal cavity would lead us to suspect them to be most 
often affected, which has been found to be true. The same 
causes which so alter the mucous membrane of the mouth as to 
make the entrance of the bacillus possible, may also cause such 
alterations in the intestines. Tuberculosis in swine appears to 
be of a virulent type. It is not uncommon to see shoats five or 
six months old in advanced stages, in some instances every or¬ 
gan in the body, including the pleura, invaded. 
Another interesting point is the source of infection. It ap¬ 
pears from post-mortem lesions found, that a very small per cent, 
become infected through the respiratory apparatus, but that in¬ 
fection most often occurs through the digestive tract, and appa¬ 
rently primarily through the buccal mucous membrane. Milk 
from cows having tuberculous udders is probably one of the 
principal sources of infection, but in tuberculous cattle we find 
a very small per cent, of the udders affected, but the bacillus has 
been found in the milk when the udder showed no visible le¬ 
sions. It is the habit of feeders to allow hogs to follow the cat¬ 
tle for the purpose of picking up grain not digested, and in this 
way save feed that would otherwise be wasted. Would it not 
be fair to suppose that probably these cattle, if tuberculous, may 
have tuberculous ulcers in the digestive tract, or if of the pul¬ 
monary type, the sputa swallowed after coughing instead of ex¬ 
pectorating, and thus pass through the digestive tract to the 
ground. I believe another source of infection is through swill. 
It is a common habit with many people to keep a slop pail in 
the kitchen for the purpose of throwing dish water and waste 
matter, which is afterwards fed to the swine. This is a conven¬ 
ient receptacle for persons affected with pulmonary tuberculosis 
