12 SEPTEMBER 1908, Page 3

The prevention of tuberculosis was under discussion at the British

Association on Tuesday, when Sir Robert Matheson, the Registrar-General for Ireland, described the campaign started in that country at the instance of Lady Aberdeen. On the same day Sir James Crichton-Browne, in the pre- sidential address delivered at the annual Conference of the Sanitary Inspectors' Association, drew hopeful auguries from the decline of the death-rate from tuberculosis in the last forty years. But while he had good reason to hope that tuberculous diseases would be abolished in Great Britain in another thirty years, there was need for redoubled effort in certain directions,—e.g., against tuberculous milk, and the carriers of disease, human and otherwise. The summary slaughter of animals proved to be infected should enable us to stamp out bovine tuberculosis, and thus cut off the main source of human infection, while all persons employed in dealing with food and milk in public institutions should be medically examined. Again, " everything that is possible should be done economically, industrially, socially, to induce mothers of all ranks and classes to nurse their infants." Sir James Crichton-Browne concluded with a vigorous onslaught on "cesspool" literature and journalism, which was dangeroua to the public health, and should be dealt with like adulterated food.