SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
227 
le essayist held that it was only when lymph-glands had 
undergone necrotic destruction that the bacilli were carried for¬ 
ward toward the general circulation by enclosing phagocytes. I 
am inclined to believe phagocytes are capable of and doubtless 
do escape from tubercular lymph-glands before extensive ne¬ 
crotic changes occur, and that the invasion is usually beyond 
the point showing gross necrotic lesions. This seems to be true 
m cases of tubercular invasion of serous membranes. Appar¬ 
ently the tubercular development is in a like stage of progress 
over urge areas of the serous surfaces. If the organism was not 
carried beyond the point where necrotic changes were plainly 
visible, then we would find that, beginning with the point of 
invasion, the changes would be more complete and more aged 
than m other parts of the affected membrane. If I remember 
correctly, it is not often that we can see the various stages of 
development so plainly marked, showing the gradual advance 
train one point and spread out over the serous surfaces. It is 
probably true that in most cases in swine the infection occurs 
tnrough the alimentary tract rather than through the respiratorv 
passages, as evidenced by the lesions found in the lungs being 
apparently of more recent development than those which are 
round in organs adjacent to the intestinal canal. I was inter¬ 
ested m the statement that swine produce no sputa. Persons 
who have to do with handling swine are well aware that it is 
lfncult to find a bunch of hogs which have been moved to the 
slaughter-house pens, which will not contain a number that do 
not cough more or less violently when made to move about 
bnskiy. 1 he.mucous membrane lining the respiratory tract 
of swine certainly secretes mucous just the same as does like 
structures in other animals, and I am satisfied that I have ob 
served swine expectorate or throw out mucous when coughing- 
and I see no reason why the bacilli of tuberculosis might not 
escape from the lungs of swine affected with this disease b V 
means of sputa. 
. 1 fu . H y a f ree with ‘he essayist, that if tuberculosis is found 
in swine that the flesh should be condemned and not used for 
food purposes. There are a number of gentlemen present who 
Have had large experience in post-mortem examinations of swine 
who doubtless can contribute materially to this discussion, and 
I trust they will do so. 
Dr McCurdy: I would like to ask Dr. Kelly if he has 
noticed what seems to me to be a peculiarity of tuberculosis of 
the pleura in swine, which is the absence of adhesion between 
