TUBERCULOSIS IN COWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1900, 3 July 1890, Page 8

TUBERCULOSIS IN COWS.

There is an article under this head in the Garden and Field of May last, by F. E. Rice, M.D., MR,O.V.S., in whioh it is sought to establish the fact that tuberculosis in oattle is the one great cause of consumption in the human family. The artiole contains some very startling statements with regard to the numbers of cattle suffering from tuberouloßie, and the quantities of diseased meat and milk sold for humam food. In the United States of America it is stated that. 10 per cent, of the ordinary milch cows are diseased, and that one in 35 of the population are exposed to infection from that cause ; that in the Jersey breed 20 per cent, of the cows are diseased, and that in Mexico (the only State giving statistics) 34 per cent, of the beef animals are affected^ ±>ut the moßt alarming statement of Mrßices la, "an examination of beef taken to the London (England) abattoirs has shown that 80 (eighty) per cent, of jt is tuberculous." Mr Rice goes on to enumerate a number of discoveries made regarding the micvobe that ia supposed to cause the disease. "In 1843 Kleucke induced tuberculosis in bovines by innooulatmg them with tubercular matter taken from man. In 1805 ■ Villeman isolated the virus of tubercle. In 1873 St. Oyr first demonstrated the identity of human and bovine tuberole. In 1881 Koch ißolated the germ upon which contagion depends." In 1868 Gerlach showed that the disease may be transmitted to man m the milk of a diseased cow. Dr Brush has given bis opinion that " human baoillary tuberculosis is all (sic) derived from the bovine speoies. He grounda his arguments upon the fact (acoording to his statements) that where there are no cows thore is no consumption in the human race, and he quotes aa examples the Esqm_ maux and the Kirghis, °n the. steppes of Russia. As quite one-third of the inhabitants of the world die of phthisis, or tuberculous consumption, and more especially as it is a disease so fatal to young people, if Dr Brush s view of the case is correct, it would not on y be the duty of Governments to look veryolosely into the sale of diseased meat and milk (which under any circumstances would be very deairable), but it would be well to exterminate bovine animals altogether. No benefits, however great, derived from these most useful of all animals can~compensate for the loss of onetbird of the entire human race ; but there is something to be said on both Bides oi the question. I think that Dr Brush is mistaken when he saya that consumption never exists where the cow iB unknown, There are several cases where the disease waß prevalent before the cow was introduced, and there are other eases (in dry, warn* atmospheres) where the cow is to be found but where consumption is little known. We need not go further than New Zealand So trace the history of this most fell disease to other causes than the cow. In the old days the Maoris lived chiefly around voloamc hills. They cultivated the rich scoria lands at their baße, and at night retired to the topß of the hills, within their palisades, for Becurity against surprise from their tribal enemies. In those days they were a fine^' healthy race of men. But a time came when the gun was introduced, and it soon became evident that without that weapon a tribe lay at the mercy of its enemies. The only article very effectual in procuring this necessary means of .warfare was scraped flax, a ton of which is said to have been a not uncommon price demanded by trading vessels for a cheap Birmingham gun. In order to prooure large quantities of flax, tho nativeß had to abandon 1 their more healthy positions and their easy life, and betake themselves to swamps, and work hard, and the consequence was that consumption _ broke out amongst them, and decimated their numbers. Up to that time the cow had^not been introduced to any extent, if at all— and as far as that goes, even now there is a very great prevalence of consumption amongst natives where neither beef nor milk is ever used, or very rarely so. Again, take Australia as an example, and we find that, whereas in the towns, where beef ia only a portion of the food used, in conjunction with other moata and a large proportion of vegetable diet, there is a great prevalence of consumption ; at the same time on cattle runs in the interior, where beef fosms alincst the exclusive diet— vaiiod only by flour— consumption is almost unknown. There is another oircumstance that affects the case : several domestio animals, which are fed almost exclusively upon cows' milk, do not appear to .be particularly subject to phthisi*. Cats are very subject to a disease of the lungs ■ from pbylaria bronchitis, a small threadworm,, and pigs, calves, and hand-fed lambs very frequently are diseased with the threadworm? and "these are {all animals fed on cowb' milk. But are they conspicuously Bubjaot to tuberculosis ? Dogs fed exclusively on cows' milk do not seem to Buffer from tubercular affections. The subject is one of considerable importance both to breeders of cattle and to the medical faculty. On the one hand it roay be that a fearful disease may be reduced in its ravages, and on the other it is possible future investigation may lead to finding a cure for consumption. The subjeot will be continued next week, R. Allan Wight.