Abstract
THE Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the relation of human and animal tuberculosis has presented an interim report published on June 1. The Commission was appointed in August, 1901, soon after Prof. Koch's address had been delivered at the British Congress on Tuberculosis held in London in July, 1901, in which he stated that as the result of experiments on animals, cattle, pigs, asses, sheep, and goats, he “felt justified in maintaining that human tuberculosis differs from bovine tuberculosis, and cannot be transmitted to cattle,” and he also stated that “though the important question whether man is susceptible to bovine tuberculosis at all is not yet absolutely decided, and will not admit of absolute decision to-day or to-morrow, one is, nevertheless, at liberty to say that, if such a susceptibility really exists, the infection of human beings is but of very rare occurrence. I should estimate the extent of the infection by the milk and flesh of tuberculous cattle and the butter made of their milk as hardly greater than that of hereditary transmission, and I, therefore, do not deem it advisable to take any measures against it.” According to Koch the chief danger of infection is from human tuberculous sputum. He suggested as the most important means of combating the disease the improvement of general hygienic conditions, provision of suitable hospitals and sanatoria for consumptives, and inspection and disinfection.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
D., G. The Relation of Human to Bovine Tuberculosis . Nature 70, 126–127 (1904). https://doi.org/10.1038/070126a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/070126a0