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are well known, but it can only be efficiently dealt with by organised and
co-ordinated effort on the part of the public Authorities of various kinds
who are directly or indirectly charged with the care of the poor or the
maintenance of the public health: Poor-Law Guardians, Health Authorities'
Municipalities, County, Urban and District Councils. By such combined
efforts tuberculosis could be brought under control, and its ravages
effectually checked to the great advantage of the community.
The object of the Memorial is to point out how this can be done, and
to urge upon public Authorities generally the duty of action in the matter.
I remain,
Your obedient Servant,
W. H. BROADBENT,
Chairman of Council,
National Association for the Prevention
of Consumption.
Whilst this Report is being written the second interim Report of the
Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the relations of human and
animal tuberculosis has been published.
The two interim Reports of the Second Royal Commission, dated
respectively 1904 and 1907, go far to prove that the effects of the bacillus
of bovine and human tuberculosis are one and the same.
The Commissioners were of opinion that a very considerable amount
of disease and loss of life, especially among the young, must be attributed
to the consumption of cow's milk containing tubercle bacilli.
It must be urged that the making of regulations under the Dairies,
Cowsheds and Milkshops Order should be compulsory throughout the
country, and some modifications bringing them up to date should be made.
Careful supervision of farms, cattle and milk utensils is necessary, but
until orders in Council are made mandatory but little good can result from
such precautions. The Contagious Diseases Act, 1878, gave power to the
Privy Council (now transferred to the Local Government Board) to make
an order under which Local Authorities are empowered (inter alia) to
make regulations for the inspection of cattle and dairies, for securing
cleanliness of milk stores and of milk utensils, and also for regulating the
lighting, ventilation, cleansing, drainage, and water supply of dairies and
cowsheds.
If these regulations are made compulsory on every sanitary authority