New-York tribune., 1884-03-25
rYFECEIoUsNESs OF CONSUMPTION


DR.. Koch's conclusions respecting the origin
and infectiousness Of consumption have been
partially confirmed by the British Medical AS
sociation. A committee was authorized to adj
dress a circular to the medical profession OF the
United Kingdom inviting opinions and expe-
riences regarding the cOmmunlcablllty OF tins
disease The number of replies received was
I,O78. Of these no fewer than 673 were
blanks, the practitioner not having mad any
cases on which positive opinion could be
based. There were 105 negative and 39 doubt
full answers. The number Of affirmative re-
plies was 261, and the eases cited in support
of the theory that consumption Is germ
caused disease and can be directly cOmmunl-
Gated were very remarkable.
For example dressmakcr was reported as
diving of consumption after protracted Ill
ness during which she lived in a cottage and
piled her trade. She had three apprentices
women under nineteen years of age, and not
related-and each in turn remained over night
in the cottage a week at time and shared the
dressmakers bed. Each of these apprentices
contracted tho disease and died i'm less than
two years. Another instance indicates the
communication of consumption from a young
man to his sister, who nursed him, and from
her to companion, young woman III ex-
cellent health each case ending fatally in D
short period Another illustration is that of a
man, who apparently contracted the disease
from his wife, and iii turn communicated it to
the servant nursing him. majority OF the
cases reported are instances of the cOmmunica-
ton of the disease from husband to wife, or
from wife to husband. In 13O OF the l92
cases of this nature, those to whom tho disease
was impaired had no predisposing taint or
tendency.
These results are onalyzed in paper by DR..
Andrew Wilson in The Pail Mall Gazette, and
the conclusion is reached that consumption is
infectious, and that the germs, or plant-like
bacilli. are conveyed in tho breath or in lung
cxcretions from the patients to others, and
breed disease in the new soil where the seed Is
planted In view of the negative replies to the
circular and also to the large number OF blanks
representing physicians who are unWllnB 10
commit themselves on this subject this Is
nr,bnbly an extreme opinion. Consumption IL
one of the cOmmonest diseases in England, ana
the medical practitioners 10 whom the circular
WAS addressed must have had familiar ac-
ouaintance with many thousands of cases III
the aggregate The number of cases cited as
cvrroborating DR.. KOoh's theory is cOmpara-
lively small and the result of the inquiry Is not
by any means conclusive. Nevertheless, the
evidence in support of tho communicabihty OF
the disease .s startling, and, as DR.. Wilson OBJ
serves, Is calculated to make us think
seriously enough of our duty both to the sick
and to the hale" The. complete demonstra-
ton of this hypothesis would add another
terror to this dreadful scOurge. The consump-
tive would bo distracted with the thought thai
he was mparting contagion and endangering
the lives of those who were nursing aud caring
for him. If that be the final result of these
German Investigations with the microscope, the
victims of consumption will have small cause
for gratitude to DR.. Koch. 1t matters little tt