Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8768, 21 March 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

WE cannot but feel proud of the behaviour of the passengers and crew of the Suovic, which went on the rocks off the Lizard on Sunday evening last. The vessel had nearly completed her voyage from Australia, and owing to the fog was proceeding slowly up the channel endeavouring to pick up the Lizard light, which would have assured tho captain of his position, when without a moment’s warning tho light was seen as a mere speck, and tho ship grated heavily on the rocks. The Lizard lias been the scouo of many wrecks, though the most fatal point is tho Manacles Rocks, a short distance from where the Suovic went ashore. As rockets and flares went up from the fated ship five lifeboats were quickly launched, and though a high sea ' was running safety was assured unless tho passengers got out of control and rushed the boats. The ladies rose gallantly to the occasion, and loft the saloon in perfect order. The children behaved splendidly, and the infants were dropped into tho arms of the lifeboat men by one of tho sailors '.hanging to a rope over tho side of the ship. The captain, after addressing tho ladies in tho saloon, returned to the bridge, where he stood with a pipe in his mouth placidly giving tho necessary orders. When wo consider how many lives must have been lost had not the officers proved equal to the emergency, or had the passengers lost their self control, wo must rejoice that the scene was not marred by any untoward incidents, and that all proved worthy sons and daughters of the British Empire. We trust that this disaster will impress on tho authorities the necessity of introducing the system of uudor-w T ator signalling by means of hells, to which wo referred in a leading article a short time ago. This method of signalling would he especially valuable at Lizard Point, as it would enable ships which are not sure of their exact position after a long voyage to pick up their hearings while still at some distance from the land.

THE Royal Commission appointed by the British Government in 1901 to inquire into tho relations between human and bovine tuberculosis lias just issued a second interim report. The object of the Commission was to inquire whether tuberculosis iu man and animals was the same disease, and under what conditions tho disease could be transmitted from animals to man, and vice versa. It had been assumed that human beings could acquire.tuberculosis by I means of infection from animals, but at the International Medical Congress iu 1900 Professor Koch, who is well known for his researches on the subject of tuberculosis, made the startling announcement that in ’.is opinion human and bovine tuberculosis wore distinct affections, and that tho bacillus of bovine tuberculosis could not produce tuberculosis iu man, and human tuberculosis could not give rise to tuberculosis iu the ox. Tho practical question thus raised was of immense importance as it affected tho whole conduct of tho business of the supply of meat aud 'milk. In fact, if tuberculosis could not bo acquired from milk from diseased cows the precautions taken to eradicate tuberculosis from our herds wore quite unnecessary, except from the point of view of ,tho health of tho animals themselves. The British Government recognised that tho question must bo decided as soon as possible, aud a strong commission was appointed to carry out experiments. While it was possible to prove by direct observation whether animals could bo infected from human beings it was not permissible j to attempt tho complementary operation of endeavouring to convoy iufec- j tiou from animals to man, and only j indirect methods could he employed to ‘ judge'whether such infection was j possible. Tho commissioners had' two farms placed at their disposal j by Sir James Blyth, aud conducted a ' series of investigations, which are not yet complete. They have, however, arrived at certain definite cons ; elusions which are quite opposed to ! tho theories “of Koch. Tho com-' missioners ’entirely fail to find any ; essential differences between human j aud bovine tuberculosis. Tiiey have proved that ;-e Unease can nn- j doubtedly ho transmitted from human beings to animals, and have come j to the conclusion that tuberculosis ; in the human subject, especially in ' children, is often tho direct result of the introduction of bovine tuberculosis j by means of ‘cow’s milk. Tho fact j that infection in many cases took | place by way of tho alimentary canal seems to support this conclusion. It j is not easy to detect tho presence of j tubercular bacilli in milk, but it is a simple matter to recognise when a cow is suffering from aud. there is great risk in using tho milk from such an animal. The work of tho commission is satisfactory, inasmuch as it establishes on a firm basis the necessity of eliminating tuberculosis from our herds, aud of the most stringent inspection of milk and other food likely to convey infection.