The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-19
Consumption curable and Not Inherited

Consumption Durable and Not Inherited
The recently published statement of
Drs. Prudden, Biggs and LOOMS to the
New York Board of Health in regard to
the contagiousness of pulmonary tuber-
culosiS Consumption and the means of
protection therefrom contains useful IN
formation that merits the attention of
every man, woman and child in the land.
Briefly put, the substance of the state
ment is that consumption is not inher-
tied, is distinctly preventible and IS
often cured. tuberculosis is very COM
mon. Domestic animals, and especially
cattle, are frequently affected by 1t.
About one-fourth of the deaths of grown
persons are caused By it and nearly one
half of the entire population acquire it
at one time or another during life. 1t IS
caused by a living germ, the tubercle
bacillus, which finds its way into the
body and multiplies there, if the condl-
tions favor, producing tubercles. These
tubercles soften and give out a discharge
containing the living germs, which
is thrown off from the body. When the
tubercles are in the lungs, constituting
consumption" the expectoratlon con-
siSts largely of these fatal germs. The
latter do not grow outside the body, but
they retain their vitality and vlruicnce
for long time, even when thoroughly
dried. It is when dried and floating in
the air as an impalpable dust that they
are most dangerous. Consumption is
commonly produced by breathing air in
which the living germs are suspended as
dust. The origin of the poison, as al
ready stated, is chiefly in the eXpectora-
ton of persons suffering from consump-
ton. They cough up sputum which
contains germs IN enormous quantities.
This is deposited in places where it after
wards dries, as OH floors, carpets, cloth
ing, handkerchiefs, &c When dry 1t
readily breaks up into minute bits which
foatln the air as dust. The entire sur.
loundings OF conSumptiye patients are
made poisonous with this dust. Repeated
experiments show that the dust gathered
from almost any part of a hospital ward,
asylum, prison or private house where
consumptive resides will produce
tuberculosis in animals inoculated with
it, while the dust from places where the
disease does not exist has no such effect
1t is important to note that the breath
of a person having consumption does
not communicate the disease, nor does
the spit of the consumptive patient COM
municate it so lorg as it is retained in
it's receptacle in moist state. 1t Is only
when it dries and is scattered by cur-
rents of air that it is dangerous. The
prevalent belief that consumption Is
hereditary is due to the fact that the
children of consumptives are more than
others exposed to the tubercle baclIll,
which find the way to their lungs from
handkerchiefs, carpets, floors and
the clothing of the afflicted parent.
1t is conceded to be likely that the
child may inherit a weak condl J.
ton of the lungs, which renders
it more liable than another to succnmb,
but it is now known that the disease It
self can be caused only by the entrance
of the germ into the body. It may enter
otherwise than by way of the lungs. 1t
may be transmitted by meat or milk
from animals suffering from tubercu-
losis. The milk Of cows, whose lungs
are affected, often contains the living
tubercle bacillus, and the need of eau
ton in the purchase of milk is empha-
sized by the fact that 30 or 80 per cent.
of stall-fed COWS have the diseasa-b8101I-
ing the mil5rf6d thoroughly cooking the
meat destroys the germs, and this Is a
precaution that should never be omitted
when there is any reason to suspect ones
milk or beef supplies. Consumption Is,
however, as a rule, communicated from
man to man through the medium OF the
pernicious dust whose origin we have de-
scribed. To prevent the formation of this
dust by preventing the drying OF the ex-
pectorations of consumptive persons Is,
therefore, the only effective means Of
preventing the extension of conSunp-
ton to those about the patient and OF
curing the patient himself. The parent
NAV diminish his chances of recovery
by self-inocul9Ssn if he neglects the
pro6sr prscaS rlons=-aGhaSs lons=: <1asas-sssse75
be done2 Only this to burn the spittle
of the consumptive person before it has
had time to dry. Handkerchiefs should
be boiled very soon after being used by
consumptive person; in his hands they
are extremely dangerous articles. EH,
pectoration on the floor or porch should
not of course be thought of for mo-
ment. In word, the cure and preven-
ton of consumption lie in jealous and
uninterrupted personal cleanliness
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