SPREAD OF CONSUMPTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 127, 29 May 1913, Page 9

SPREAD OF CONSUMPTION.

THE COW AS A FACTOR. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHKETCHUROH, this day. For some time there hae been a discussion in Chrietchurch regarding the possibilities and probabilities of the transmieeioii or the tubercle bacillus from cattle lo human beings, and already there have been disquieting statements about the city's dairy heards. which have been denied. The hospital contractor's herds came in for some heavy condemnations, and to-day the Ilospit-al Board decided to grant the vender one halfpenny over his contract price if the milk passed the standard, in order to compensate hnn for the lose to his herds. To-day Dr G. J. 81-ackmore presented to the Hospital Board an exhaustive report on the subject ot" the transmission of tubercle. He quoted largely from the report of the Royal Commission eet up to inquire into the matter by the British Government. Dr Blackmore said that ir. concluding their report the commissioners recorded their profound conviction that (1) a considerable proportion of the tuberculosis affecting children is of bovine origin, more particularly that which affects primarily the abdominal organs and the cervical (neck) glands; 121 both thr-?e forms of tuberculosis are often due to swallowing tuberculosis infective material: (3) much of the tuberculosis of childhood must be ascribed to infection with tubercle bacilli of the bovine type, transmitted to children in meals consisting l-iracly of the milk of the cow. The Imperial" Health Officer of Germany, after prolonged investigation, came to tbe same conclusion ac the English investigators. It used to be. believed, said Dr Blackmore, that tubercle bacilli were only present in cow's milk when the udder was affected. The British commissioners and Athens have *!iown that this is incorrect. Tubercle may be present in cow's milk when the udder is not affected at all. the disease being in other parts of the body. It is. however, in disease of the udder that the chief danger of infection lirs. A general summing up of the position n< , . regards iraresmifision of tuberculosis ; 6 that in the great majority of cases of I tuberculosis in human beings the transmission is by infection frnm person to person by means of the hunran bacillus, i but tint in a nnt inconsiderable number of oses in children and in infection in adults the disease is transmitted to human beings in the milk or fles,h of tuberculous " ca; tie. Trie amount of tuberculosis ,ii present existing in X'orth Canierburv is not. T t.hink. known to ' anronr. The proved f.icf. that cow's milk does conrey tuberculosis to children is ' sufficient tn -warrant searching investi-ga.t-.on by competent veterinary surgeons and tract priolofriste to ascertain what amount does exi«t. and the taking of effectivr me-'sures to eradicate it.