The Portland daily press., 1886-03-04

ported, tnat would seem to teach that the
eontaglOhh oI dlphtheria is capable Of being
preserved Tor considerable time. In the
last report OF the State Board of Health of
Michigan, quite number of cases are re-
ported in which the eontagion had existed
SIX months OF a year, ana one case in which
years previous. There is much in the
history of diphtheria that would lead us to
believe that the eOntagion may cling for a
long time to persons and clothing that have
been infected, and to dwellings and their
surroundings where the disease has been de-
veloped. The radical destruction, therefore,
as far as possible of the cOntagiOn wherever
and whenever case arises, presents itself
as an obvious duty. Some OF our domestic
animals are prone to the disease, especially
cats and dogs An Augusta physician re-
lates that the pet kitten of one OF his chill
dren became sick with what appeared ike
diphtheria, and the doctor thinks the child
received it by eontagion from the feline
References are made where diphtherltlc
disease Of hens are transmitted to man.
The next subject treated is typhoid fever.
The condition of things in certain loealty
may serve as sample: 1.-The cellar was wet,
there being several inches of water on the
bottom. The well was within thirty feet OF
the house. The slops thrown from the win
dow drained into the well, which in wet
weather was full to overfOwing, There
were two cases of typhoid fever in the fall.
The next year young woman, domestic,
who had been in the house but two OF three
weeks, was taken with the disease and re-
moved to her home, one-half mile. From
this case there were seventeen others in sue
cession. In the place where the disease was
transplanted the we'll is thirty or forty feet
from the back door, in sandy soil, and about
fifteen feet deep. Privy in barn, forty or tf-
ty feet from well. Family not neat, and
would be likely to throw discharges almost
anywhere" But yet it may be questioned
whether the filth conditions in the water
consumed OF in other places, is ever, Of it
self, a sufficient cause to start the typhoid
disease. Medical men take the ground that
the specific typhoid germ is a prerequisite to
the production of the disease Water mani
festly polluted may be used for years, and
though it may cause more or less OF general
indisposition, or predisp0sisiOn to other dis
arise. Let, however, the germ of this dis
ease be introduced into such source of water
supply, and the chances are ten to one that
we have a sudden outburst of disease in the
family. To prove this, the recent case at
Plymouth, Pa, is cited. This same source
of starting an epidemic, though on smaller
scale Is too often found in the farm houses
and other homes of our own State, where the
privy and the well are near nelgADors we
need not necessarily claim that the disease
germ invariably has its beginning in the ami
NAL organism. Pretty positively settled are
these facts That from the typhoid fever
patient the contagion is given of, principal
ly at least, in the discharges from the bowels
dllu Ghdb RcLu dS pdSoCug 10 AAOb III q SOA.-
dition to be infective; so when cleanliness Is
observed in the care of both patient and
room, there is no danger of direct cOntagi0n.
But, as in the case of the diphtheric germ, the
germ of typhoid fever is capable of main
tanning its vitality for an indefinite time, and
is capable of growth and multiplication
when the domestic surroundings which re-
ceive it offer to it the requisite conditions.
The dread disease. consumption, is next
dealt with. This is said to be the cause of
one-seventh of all the deaths which occur in
New England. But our State is more
exempt from the disease than most other
parts of New England. The causes of con-
sumption are many, but all the various
causes may be arranged under three classes:
1st, internal causes; I'd, external causes; Sd,
specific cause. In the first class belong all
those influences inherent in the organic
structure Of the individual Consumption Is
hereditary; often some popularity has been
transmitted from ancestry to child, which
renders the individual more liable than
others to become afflicted with tuberculosis.
But there is reason to think that the public
generally are too much impressed with this
truth, and hereditary influence has been
greatly Overrated. Walsh'S statistical re-
searches show that out of 162 hospital pa
tients afflicted with this disease only in 26
per cent. either the father or the mother or
both parents were tubercul0us. DR.. Quain's
compilations from the report of the Bromp-
ton Hospital for ConsumptiveS show that
among the lower classes of London 25 per
cent. Of the cases were hereditary. Dr. G.
L. Williams, in the same city, among
the more comfortably conditioned class,
was able to trace only IL per cent. to
direct hereditary influence. Thus, from
statistical information, we must believe that
at least IS per cent of the cases of cOnsump-
ton are acquired from other than hereditary
influences. I'd, in regard to the external
causes, these MAY be anything in the life or
social condition which decreases the healthy
tone of the organism, thereby rendering the
nor c1tco coo,1tihIo RI fha ina Of
the specific course. Sd, as regards c0ntagiOn,
it has not been until recently that any large
proportion of the medical profession have
held any decided belief in the communica-
bility of consumption, but the belief that it
is decidedly contagious has grown wonder
fully of late. Instances are given to prove
this fact. Not only has the cOntagi0usness
of consumption in the human subject been
noted, but veterinarians time and again
have recorded the same fact as pertaining 20
tuberculosis among cattle, which is identi-
cally the same disease as human pulmonary
consumption, and this fact has been fully
shown by the experiments OF scientists. In
fact, all doubts of the contagiousneSS Of hu-
man and animal tuberculosis have been en-
tirely removed from the minds of scientists. 4
This fact established, it enlarges cOnsideras
bly, for the sanitarian the prospect of beng
able kto diminish the prevalence of this
be employed which will obviate the
danger of injecting others who
are co-dwellers with the cOnsumptiye pa
tient. The patient may not be banished to
a hospital, but certain precautions shall be
observed so that the danger of infection may
be reduced to a minimum. First, and most
important, is the destruction by fire, or by
other trustworthy disinfectants, like the cor
rosive sublimate solution. of the life of the
bacillus which is found in the sputa. Some
of the disinfeetant should be constantly kept
in the bottom of the spittoon, which should
frequently be emptied, preferably upon the
fire. The consumptive patient should sleep
by himself, and have his room as thoroughly
and constantly ventilated as possible. With
these few precautions there will be but little
danger to others from the infection.
Although carefully prepared, our abstract
gives but an outline of this valuable work,
which will take its place in the libraries Of
the people among the best scientific works.
1t will make an octave volume of $50 pages,
the size of Agriculture of Maine," and we
trust that a sufficient number of copies will
be printed that they may be generally dis
tributed. We anticipate demand for the
volume unprecedented in the history Of
Maine Reports. 1t shows deep research and
profound Investigation, and is not written
for the eye of the professional man alone,
but is couehed in language that the people at
home and at their tiresides may understand
1t will be valuable agent in the preserva-
ton of that greatest of earthly boons-good
Health,