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80
the carcase, yet they must be avoided and destroyed.
The essential factor of the disease is the bacillus
tuberculosis. It does not appear to be proved that
if all affected "organs, etc.," be avoided and destroyed,
that the bacillus will be thereby eliminated.
Supposing that the bacillus were so eliminated, who
would purchase meat which had been cut up for
the purpose of dissecting out affected glands? In
the last of their conclusions the Commissioners say
that the ordinary methods of cooking "would not
avail to render wholesome any piece of meat that contained
tuberculous matter in its deeper parts." In fact,
whilst arguing for the use of some portion of the
flesh of tuberculous animals, the Commissioners
furnish strong argument for the condemnation of
the whole. Such condemnation is, indeed, the only
safe course in the present state of our knowledge.
The basis of opposition to the condemnation of
the whole animal is the question of compensation.
The argument, as usually put, is that an animal is
purchased outwardly in good health and condition,
yet when slaughtered it is found to be tuberculous
and condemned, and the purchaser is thereby cast
in damages for an offence of which he is guiltless.
This may be in certain cases a fair argument,
but it is vitiated by the fact that the purchaser
has, as a rule, not availed himself of the means
provided by science for determining whether the
animal is or is not sound. A further counter