HUMAN TUBERCULOSIS IS TRANSMISSIBLE TO CATTLE. 
733 
HUMAN TUBERCULOSIS IS TRANSMISSIBLE TO 
CATTLE.* 
By Prof. M. H. J. P. Thomassen, of the Veterinary School at 
Utrecht. 
Translated from. “ Recueil de Medecine Veterinairef by L. Van Es, M. D., V. S., 
Mobile , Ala. 
I had not the least idea that my announced communication 
u on the identity of human and bovine tuberculosis ” could in 
reality create the great degree of interest which it owes to the 
sensational lecture made before the general meeting on Tuesday 
last by Prof. Koch. 
The great teacher on tuberculosis denies the identity in ques¬ 
tion, and his assertion is based especially on results obtained by 
the inoculation of bovines with pure cultures or with the spu¬ 
tum of phthisical men. 
In experiments made in common with Prof. Schiitz, he has 
not been able to succeed in bringing about tuberculous lesions. 
At the most, there could be observed at the place of inoculation 
abscesses, the contents of which contained the bacilli of tuber¬ 
culosis. 
During the session Profs. Nocard, Bang and Woodhead have 
protested against the conclusions of Prof. Koch, to wit: that 
the milk and the meat of tubercular animals present little or no 
danger of infection to man. 
Nocard has called attention at this very congress, that the 
results of experiments contradictory to those of Koch would be 
communicated, with the proofs on which they are based. There¬ 
fore I will endeavor to explain to you the experiments in ques¬ 
tion ; but to begin with, I will stop to give you a short histori¬ 
cal review on the question concerning the susceptibility of cat¬ 
tle to human tuberculosis. 
Although Kaennec had already identified tuberculosis of man 
with that of cattle, and even after the glorious discovery by 
Villemin, in 1865, it was for a long time rejected, to see in the 
* Communication to the Congress at London, July 26, 1901. 
