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22
REPORT OP THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON TUBERCULOSIS.
The Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the effect of food
derived from tuberculosis animals on human health issued its report in
April, 1895.
This Report proves that "the actual amount of tuberculous disease
among certain classes of food-animals is so large as to afford to man
frequent occasions for contracting tuberculous disease through his
food." It is therefore most important that this should be widely
known.
I will add a few more extracts from the same report:
"We have obtained ample evidence that food derived from tuberculous
animals can produce tuberculosis in healthy animals.
"Tuberculous disease is observed most frequently in cattle and in
swine. It is found far more frequently in cattle (full grown) than in
calves, and with much greater frequency in cows kept in town cowhouses.
"There is always a difficulty in making sure of the absence of
tuberculous matter from any part of a carcase that shows evidence of
tubercle elsewhere.
"The milk of cows with tuberculosis of the udder possesses a
virulence which may be described as extraordinary.
"It should be noted that this affection of the udder is not peculiar
to tuberculosis in an advanced stage, but may be found also in mild
cases.
"Ordinary processes of cooking applied to meat which has got contaminated
on its surface are probably sufficient to destroy the harmful
quality. They would not avail to render wholesome any piece of meat
that contained tuberculous matter in its deeper parts. In regard to
milk we are aware of the preference by English people for drinking
cow's milk raw, a practice attended by danger, on account of possible
contamination by pathogenic organisms. The boiling of milk, even
for a moment, would probably be sufficient to remove the very
dangerous quality of tuberculous milk."