CORRESPONDENCE. THE PREVENTION OF CONSUMPTION. TO the EDITOR of the PALL MALL GAZETTE. SIR, - As the question of the prevention of consumption is now under the consideration of the most eminent medical experts in the country, as shown at the recent meeting at Marlborough House under the presidency of his ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES, who has most graciously given his influence and support to the measures that are best calculated to protect the public from the spread of the disease, I think that any point which is likely to further this laudable and praiseworthy object is well worthy of consideration. No doubt the proposed sanitorium must do good among the patients who are already smitten with the disease, but the great thing to aim at is, I think, the removal of the main cause of the disease. The highest medical authorities agree that the drinking of the milk of cows suffering from tuberculosis is in a material degree the origin of the disease. Is it not, therefore, desirable to make a great effort to adequately endeavour to extirpate this cause of the disease ? The only effectual way to accomplish that would be by slaughtering the miserable cows that are proved by competent veterinary evidence to be visibly affected with the disease. This remedy was found to be effectual in stamping out the cattle-plague some thirty years ago, and subsequently in extirpating pleuro-pneumonia, foot and mouth, and other contagious diseases among animals. In a recent report of mine on the subject to the local authority and the Board of Agriculture, I stated that --- " When I and MR. BELL, the chief veterinary inspector, had occasion a few years ago to frequently examine cattle during the prevalence of pleuro-pneumonia, MR. BELL certified that several of them were badly affected with tuberculosis. In many of the dairies in towns that were visited for the purpose of examining cattle alleged to be affected with pleuro-pneumonia, some cows had diseased and ulcerated udders. They were in a miserable condition, and their market value appeared to be not more than 30s. or £2 each. They were giving some milk which was sold in the towns. It is stated by medical men that the milk of cows which are evidently suffering from tuberculosis, seriously spreads consumption; but there is no law at present making provision for preventing the sale of the milk of such diseased cows. Several cases have occurred in this county where medical officers condemned the carcasses of fat cattle as unfit for human food on the grounds that they were slightly affected with tuberculosis. The carcasses were consequently destroyed. The evidence proved that when these animals were sold at the auction marts a day or two previously to their being slaughtered, they were in a fat condition, and appeared to be perfectly healthy, and that no one could detect any appearances of disease. There is a strong public feeling that when the carcasses of fat cattle are destroyed because they are slightly diseased, there should be some lawful provision to consider all the circumstances of each case upon its merits. In one case, where a fat bullock was bought for £18 10s., the medical officer found a small discolouration on its viscera. He certified that it was suffering from tuberculosis. The carcass was consequently destroyed without any compensation to its owner, who was quite ignorant of the existence of disease, and who could not be charged with any intention to sell diseased meat. Some high authorities have strongly advised the owners of young cattle suspected to be affected with tuberculosis, to fatten them off, and sell them as fat beasts as early as possible. When two or three year old beasts are sold and their carcasses subsequently found to be slightly affected with tuberculosis, and are therefore destroyed by order of the medical officer, the loss to their owners is serious, as the existing law does not provide for any compensation to the owners of such cattle. The milk of cows which are visibly suffering from tuberculosis is not sold to the public without any regulation or restriction. The true remedy to protect the public from the spread of consumption by the milk of diseased cows would be to have the cows which are proved by reasonable evidence to be diseased, to be bought by the Board of Agriculture at their fair market value and destroyed, and by that means extirpate the disease. The law and regulations which succeeded in stamping out pleuro-pneumonia might with great public advantage be made by an Act of Parliament, applicable to tuberculosis. The feeling among farmers, experts, and the public generally is that this remedy would, to a great extent, prevent the origin of disease by the milk of diseased cows. The proposal to have periodical inspections of dairies, cowsheds, and cattle might enable local authorities to know where diseased cows are kept; but there is no legal power at present to deal with diseased cows. If tuberculosis were made a contagious disease, periodical inspections would be of great value in enabling the Board of Agriculture to have adequate knowledge of the places where diseased cattle are kept, and to have them thoroughly dealt with under efficient regulations, and a reasonable system of compensation for the animals destroyed in the public interest. " There can be no doubt that if tuberculosis were made by Act of Parliament a contagious disease, the evil consequences of consumption could be more adequately grappled with, and the views of his ROYAL HIGHNESS and the eminent authorities who have taken up the subject in endeavouring to protect the public from the spread of the disease, would be more effectually accomplished. Yours truly, Chief Constable's Office, Carlisle, Dec. 26 J. DUNNE, Chief Constable of Cumberland and Westmorland.