1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Al'l'ENDIX. 179
Dr. Wliitoheacl said :
" Dr. Battle gave us the remarkable
iuforniatioii that ten people are dying daily in this country
of ours of consumption. Now, if we knew that there was a
man on the outside of this building with a knife wlio was
killing ten of us a day, there would not be one of us who
would not be after liim with a shot-gun, if necessary, and
yet it is the same thing. Ten of us are d3'ing every day,
and yet it is being done so easily and quietly that we do
not think anything of it. The object of this meeting is to
try and explain some means of expelling these various diseases
which are killing our people all over the State. It
is an informal meeting, and if your modesty is such that
you don't want to ask any questions out, write them and
send them up to the table and they will be read and
answered."
Dr. Battle:
"Mr. President, a question lias been handed
to me to lay before you; they want to know how milk in
cows is known to be tubercular; wliat way there is of telling
that cows have tuberculosis."
Dr. Battle: "The milk is known to be tubercular by the
use of the microscope. There is a disease among cattle
that is known as white distemper, which is nothing in the
world but tuberculosis. I think it is called white distemper.
The most usual wav of discoverinp- whether a cow is tubercular—and
this should be always done when there is the
least doubt—is by the use of 'tuberculine.' This tuberculine
injected into a healthy subject will cause no reaction;
it makes no change that you can see; but if the subject has
consumption you have a group of symptoms tliat
are unmistakable.
There is a slight rise of temperature, sometimes
a chill, and fever lasting for several hours; but it is
so characteristic and so unmistakable that it is simply impossible
to miss it ; and you would be astonished to know how
little tuberculine it takes to cause this reaction. If you will