32 STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
conclusion is reached that the flesh of a tuberculous animal 
under these circumstances offers no danger to mankind, 
There are, however, conditions under which the flesh of the 
animal may be dangerous. In cases of what are known as 
generalized tuberculosis the bacilli appear to be scattered all 
through the tissues, or even in the blood, and in these cases © 
they may be found in the masses of the muscles. No one 
questions that it is dangerous to eat such flesh unless it is thor- 
oughly sterilized by boiling. But if the advanced cases of the 
disease are excluded by proper inspection, the universal 
opinion at the present time is that the flesh of tuberculous 
animals which comes from creatures with only slightly de- 
veloped disease is perfectly wholesome, presents no danger, 
and that there is no reason whatsoever for excluding such 
flesh from our markets. The only problem is as to the feasi- 
bility of a proper inspection. In European countries that are 
under the best control the carcasses of animals slaughtered 
in the slaughter-houses are not all treated alike. Some are 
entirely condemned, this class including only such as have ad- 
vanced cases of generalized tuberculosis. Others are par- 
tially condemned, that is, the viscera, or, perhaps only parts 
of the viscera are condemned, but the flesh is allowed to be 
used. .In other cases, where the disease is perhaps somewhat 
more extended, the flesh is allowed to be sold in the markets, 
upon what is known as the “ free bench,” which simply means 
that it is sold to the customer as diseased flesh. The customer 
buys it at his own risk, and knows that he should not eat it 
unless after thorough cooking. The method which has been 
adopted somewhat widely in this country, of entirely condemn- 
ing the carcasses of an animal that shows the slightest trace of 
tuberculosis, is adopted nowhere in Europe, and is regarded 
universally as a needless and useless waste. 
In short, there are no cases positively known where man- 
kind has acquired the disease by eating flesh, and all of the facts 
taken together have led to a unanimous opinion that the danger 
from the flesh of tuberculous animals has been exaggerated in 
the past, and that there is no reason why, under proper re- 
strictions, the flesh of such animals should not be used for food. 
Transmission by Dairy Products. Tuberculous Milk—When 
we come to the subject of dairy products, the matter stands 
somewhat differently. The danger to man from the con- 
sumption of milk and products derived from milk is certainly 
greater than it is in the case of flesh. All of the evidence that 
