TUBERCULOSIS, ITS CONTROL AND ERADICATION. 
403 
fully acquainted with the facts regarding- the transmissibility of 
tuberculosis that they are anxious to have their cattle tested ; es¬ 
pecially is this the case where the family is supplied with milk 
from one or two cows of their own. 
As regards legislation, the physician whose acquaintance 
will permit can do more or less good by socially discussing the 
subject of tuberculosis with any member of the state legislature. 
These men must be educated along these lines before they are 
capable of enacting just laws. 
LAWS. 
What we should have in the way of legislation is a law that 
will provide for thorough and competent meat and milk inspec¬ 
tion. ‘The meat inspection should include market inspection 
relative to sanitary conditions and abattoir inspection similar 
to that maintained by the federal government. 
The dairy inspection should provide for the tuberculin test 
and for thorough inspection of the cows at frequent intervals ; 
the sanitary condition of the stables ; the food and water sup¬ 
ply ; the cleanliness of the milk utensils and the health of the 
attendants. 
From a sanitary standpoint, any regulation that does not 
provide for the proper inspection of the cow must of necessity fall 
far short of perfection. If the milk is contaminated when drawn 
from the cow it will go to the consumer contaminated. It 
should prohibit the use of the milk of cows that are affected 
with any disease, as tuberculosis, anthrax, variola, etc., that will 
render the milk unwholesome. No person suffering from scarlet 
fever, typhus fever, tuberculosis, etc., should be permitted to 
work with the cows, or handle the milk or milk utensils. 
The practical object of such a law would be to prevent the 
use of the food products of tuberculous animals, because it is 
by far the most common of bovine diseases. 
Much more could be accomplished through the State Veter¬ 
inarian’s office under our present laws, if the legislature would 
only appropriate a reasonable amount of money for this depart¬ 
ment. 
