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5
Upon that Commission's report and upon the report issued by the Second Royal
Commission appointed in 1896 to inquire into "administrative procedures for controlling
danger to man through the use as food of the meat and milk of tuberculous animals," the
Local Government Board issued a Circular in 1899 to Local Sanitary Authorities, adverting
to the Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order, 1885. The Board drew attention to the
application of Articles 13 and 15 to the prevention of tuberculosis. " Model Regulations "
were made under Article 13 ; Article 15 was amended to include tuberculous disease of the
udder of a cow; and instructions were issued for the guidance of meat inspectors,
prescribing the degree of tubercular disease which, in the opinion of the Board, should
cause a carcase or part thereof to be seized. These principles of seizure were set forth
in the Medical Officer's Annual Report for the Western Division of the Borough of Finsbury
for 1900, (p 47 A 48), and your,,. .mittee strictly adhered to these instuetions of
the Board since November, 1900, when it became part of the duty of the Committee
to supervise the Extra-Corporation Dead-Meat Market in Smithfield.
Upon the announcement of Dr. Koch at the recent Congress it would be presumptuous
of me to offer any criticism. Dr. Koch's experiments to show that human tuberculosis
is not transmissible to animals are of a substantial nature. It is of course clear, and
fully admitted, that the same cannot be said of the converse proposition.º In referring to
evidence on the other side, my object has not been to maintain an argument or even to
oppose Dr. Koch's views. The object has simply been to place before the Committee the
evidence upon which legislation in England has been based up to the present. Scientific
truth is arrived at by research and experiment, and counter research and "control"
experiment. That Dr. Koch should be proved to be right or to be wrong is not the
desideratum. The real thing to be desired and most patiently, strenuously, and accurately
sought after is the exact truth.
And such being the present position it is clear that further experiments and research
must be undertaken to arrive at conclusions which shall be final one way or the other.
Such experiments are about to be carried on both in Europe and America. In England it
is probable that His Majesty's Government, through one of its Departments, will either
take up the matter itself and appoint a Royal Commission, or in other ways facilitate
such experimental research as is necessary.! It may be noted that the Royal Agricultural
Society of England has already appointed a Special Committee which is authorised to carry
out experiments on this matter. In America and in Germany such experimental work has
also already commenced. The German Imperial Government has appointed a Commission
for this purpose, including a number of experts, among whom is Professor Virchow, of
Berlin, admittedly the first of living pathologists, and Professor Bollinger, of Munich. The
work of investigation has been planned on a large and complete scale. In the meantime
it has been officially stated in Germany that there are at present no grounds for modifying
the precautions which are taken to prevent the spread of tuberculosis by milk, butter,
or meat.
At its last general meeting the Congress adopted the following resolution, which was
proposed by Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P., and seconded by Earl Spencer, K.G.:—
"That ill tlir opinion of this Com/res*, unit in the lii/lit of the work that has been
"jirrsenteil at its sitti/u/s, Medical Officers of llcaltli should continue to use all
"the pinners at their disposal, and relax no effort to prerent the sjiread of
" tuberculosis hi/ milk and meat.
As Medical Officer of Health I venture to express the earnest hope that your
Committee, having the above facts before you, will advise the Borough Council to continue
to take the same vigorous measures as heretofore for the protection of the public from
tuberculosis conveyed by means of food. Until the Local Government Board withdraws
its Circular of suggestions, issued in 1899, the maintenance of the course hitherto adopted
would seem the only right one to follow. It is not probable that the Board will alter its
policy until abundant further experiment and research have settled the points now under
discussion.
0Lord Lister voiced the general concensus of expert opinion at the Congress in expressing the view
that whilst Dr. Koch had produced substantial, though not final, evidence to prove the insusceptibility
of cattle to human tubercle, reliable evidence was not yet forthcoming to establish the converse
proposition, incomparably the more important, namely, that bovine tuberculosis is not communicable
to tnau.
†Since tlie present Memorandum was issued the appointment of a Royal Commission has been
announced, to inquire and report with respect to tuberculosis : (i) whether the disease in animals and man
is one and the same ; (2) whether animals and man can be reciprocally infected with it ; (3) under what
conditions, if at all, the transmission of the disease from animals to man takes place and what are the
circumstances favourable or unfavourable to such transmission. The Commissioners appointed are Sir
Michael Foster, K.C.R., Professor Sims Woodhead, Professor Sidney Martin, Professor John MacFadyean. ,
and Professor Rubert Bovce.