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Dr. Buchanan, the Expert selected for this purpose, reported very fully
upon the matter in a Blue Book issued in January, 1906. Trade Associations,
representing the interests concerned, also sent deputations to the
Sanitary Committee of the Corporation, and stated the case from their point
of view, pointing out the disadvantages under which members of their
Associations labour, owing to the want of co.ordination amongst the several
Authorities dealing with the subject of Tuberculosis throughout the country.
It must be remembered that the relations between human and animal
Tuberculosis has for some time past been under the consideration of a Royal
Commission. This Commission was specially appointed for the purpose on
the 31st August, 1901, and submitted an interim Report upon the subject,
dated the 16th May, 1904. This Report was made owing to the striking
results obtained from the experiments conducted under their directions. It
stated that the Commission had arrived at the conclusion that tubercle of
human origin can give rise in the bovine animal to Tuberculosis identical
with the ordinary bovine Tuberculosis, and that it therefore indicated that it
would be most unwise to frame or modify legislative measures in accordance
with the view that human and bovine tubercle bacilli are specifically different
from each other, and that the disease caused by one is wholly different from
the disease caused by the other, as asserted by Professor Koch at the London
Congress on Tuberculosis in July, 1901.
In view of this authoritative pronouncement, those responsible for the well.
being of the community are bound to carry out to the letter the instructions
of the Local Government Board with regard to Tuberculosis in meat, and
especially in pork.
As there was reason to believe that in some cases persons in the country,
who—either through carelessness or ignorance of the appearance of the disease
in living animals, or the indications of disease in carcases after slaughter—had
consigned tuberculous pork to the City Markets, the Corporation, in March,
1903, directed the issue of a circular describing in detail the signs of Tuberculosis
in the carcase and organs and also the symptoms in the living animal.
The former were drawn up by your Medical Officer, and the latter
by Mr. James King, Veterinary Inspector to the Corporation. Upwards of
6,800 of these circulars were sent out, of which 3,050 were supplied in
response to written applications to the Town Clerk for further copies, and
since then a very large number of copies have been supplied to those
interested in the question.
The salesmen in the Central Meat Market are also supplied, upon application,
with copies to send to their customers in the country, and there can now
be little or no excuse for raising the plea of ignorance, and until the Local