TUBERCULOUS CATTLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1905, 14 August 1890, Page 8

TUBERCULOUS CATTLE.

TO THB KDITOB. Sir,— To do away with disease among animals, arid prevent its communication to man, Bhould be the aim of every humanitarian. I was called on this week to perform a post viortern on a cow whioh died a week after parturition, and found the cause of death to be " impaction'of the rumen ; " yet, on examination of the lungs.l.found them, especially the left one, to be interstitially impregnated with the deposit due to tuberouloßis, and which, as all scientists are aware, does convey what is usually known as the po'Bon of tuberouloßis into the host, and there it develops and possibly degenerates into something simulating phtbisie^pulmortalis, or consumption, slowly but surely increasing as time goes on. Of oourse the end of the host iB certain death. Its course of destruction through the system is no more Bure than is that of tne triebnaa spiralis, wbioh, be»ng a parasite in the hog species, by being introduced into the human host through partaking of badly cooked pork multiplies in myriads and permeateß every hystological minutia of the muscular system of man. The only preventive is to carefully prepare the food, whether taken as milk - or animal matter, by boiling the former and thoroughly cooking the latter. An animal suffering from tuberculosis shows symptoms similar to lung disease in cattle, and destruction iB better than amelioration. There iB always a wasting away, and themometrieal indications tend to locate and define disease. Some years ago I was asked by the Victorian authorities to report on any tuberoular cases, but subsequent to 1886 I have not seen any. I trusted it had died out, as milk from a tubercular cow most thoroughly diffuses the poison which propagaten consumption, — Yours, &c, N. Marquis, M.R.0.V.5,, London. Timaru, August 7.

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