New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-25

ton, but prediSpOsltlOn Dy inheritance as a s,I,
of Dhthisis that Is cOntendcd against by Co,as
: That Koch entertained different opinion Il i.
clared to be absolutely erroneous. The admis.is
that a disease may be favored, or promoted x
this or that circumstance is not tantamount ~ ~
assertion that in OIL or nearly all cases this ~
cumstance is the cause, concOmitant, or necesss
precursor Of the disease. This Is the view rs,s.
ally entertained regarding predsposition.s :"
Comets further reasoning on this subject f.
veals his views so clearly that | will endsavs~e
i'm substance, TO reproduce IL here. Let a boz =
imagined filled with lnely-diyided bacillus 49,
and let q certain number OF guinca-pigs he caussf
for very short time, 10 inhalc this dust I.
of them will be infected, while the great MAORI,
/ will escape IL the inhalation be prolonged ~
number Of animals infected will Increase mn
at length only one or two rensis
With an exposure ws s1i more pooa
cumb. Why, then. in the first instance ~
one animal contract tuberculosis and another s't,
Have they not all inhaled the same air, under Il.
capped the first contagion less disposed than ).
survivors to the disease? Assuming the aoin.ss
to be all perfectly healthy, such differences VI
be observed But, supposing them TO he veal
ened in different degrees by previous dIssrd,-,
the differences revealed In the case Of healSs,
animals would be more pronounced. This ssa
human beings, is the normal state Of thinqs ~
The opportunities for incorrect reasoning 4, ,
gard 10 phthisis are manifold. 10 Is observed h,
example. that hospital attendant, who has ~
for wears, even for decades, consnmptye patIee..
in his charge, has, nevertheless escaped inferlss
The popular conclusion finds vent In the wo,s
IL cannot be so dangerous after all :" lsr
however, attention is fixed on a single fortgr,,.
individual. while the hundreds who. dnrlng IS
same time, have succumbed are forgotten n.
danger of infection in different hospitals is uz
able danger. In some we lind baciui, Will 4
others we DO not lind them. II is no word-
then that among attendants who are thus ~
posed to different degrees of danger, some shod
be infected and others not. When, in cas, n
Il 4Iori oh ulg.l
undeniably infectious diseases m attendant =
capes infection, we do not excliim, They are M,
so dangerous after ALL" But this is the fayod,.
expression when pulmonary consumption i 6
question "When,h adds Cornet with a dash =;
indignation, we observe the enormous increass !;
phthisis among the natives of MentOne. and al
this ascribed TO the abandonment of lana abs
instead Of to intercommunicatio ton with the Con
sumptivc patients who spend their winter attn,
health resort il would seem as II some people In.
their eyes wilfully against the truth"
Again and again our author insists on the nec.,
sity Of the most searching oversight on the ur
charge. q" j cannot" he says, accept as y,p
the assertion that in well-ordered hospitals p,1
vision is invariably made for expectoraton ins
proper vessels, the conversion Of the sputum irio
infectious aust being thereby rendered imposB,
Take case in point. One of the physicians IA
whose kindness ! owe the possibility OF carrying
on my investigation, assured me in the most ps.
tive manner that the patients In his hospital h.
varaby used spittoons. few minutes after M
assurance had been given, and under the eye
of the director himself ] drew from the bed Of
patient pocket-handkerchief filled with ht
dried phlegm. | rubbed from the wall Of Ia
room, at distance Of half meter from the I'D
of this patient, quantity of dust, with which,
rs ] predicted, tuberculosis was produced II
therefore, physicians, attendants. and patenfs IA
not work in unison, if the patient and his AZ
tendants he not accurately instructed and sfrcty
controlled. the presence Of the spittoon VIII nj
diminish the danger"
here glanced at were most impressivey brought
home 10 the inquirer. In fifteen out OF twehty.
one sick rooms, that is to say in more than two
thirds of them, Cornet found in the dust Of tie
walls and bed furniture virulent tuberce hacirL
lie refers to his published tables to prove tia,
in no ward or room where the organism was found
did the patients confine themselves 10 expectOn,
ton into spittoons, but were in the habit d
splitting either upon the floors or into potlut
handkerchiefs. In no single case, on the otAa
hand. where splitting on the floor or into pocket
handllerchiefs was strictly and etfectually prolh
tied, did he find himself able 10 produce tubers
losis from the collected dust
point OF considerable Importance, mg
specially dealt with by Cornet in further y
vestgation, has reference 10 the allegation, iia
physicians who attend tuhercuous patients
not show among themselves the fhghtful no.
tality from phthisis that might he expected This
is Gifted adduced as proof OF the comparative harm
lessness of the tubercle bacillus. No investgsf,n
however, has proved that the mortality among
average. And even should this mortality sAOg
no great prepOnderance. il Is 10 be borne IN mini
that the number of physicians who. tharn y
their education, are able to discern the ant ap-
proaches of the malady, and TO master II II tine,
Is by no means incOnsider1ble In the health ~
sorts of Germany, Italy, France and Africa, We
find numbers Of physicians who have been com
PEELED, by their own condition, 10 establish thtf
practice in such places.
The memorable paper OF which have bes
given a concentrated abstract. concludes with
a chapter on Preventive Measures" which
are assuredly worthy Of grave attention on The
Of the public at large. The character Of these
measures may be- in great part gathered from N
foregoing pages. IL is more than once enunclatd
In Comets memoir that the first and greatest
danger to which the phthiscal patient is exposed
himself. If he is careless in the disposal Of his
phlegm, if he suffers it to become dry and con
verted into dust then, by the Inhalation Of 3
contagium derived from the diseased portions Of
his own lung he may infect the healthy portions
If therefore, says Cornet. the phthlaG
patient 10 avoid the guilt Of self-murder Is com
PEELED to exercise the utmost caution, he eqaaY
bound 10 do so for the sake of his family n ~,
children, and his servants and attendants nv
must bestow the most anxious care upon the as
posal Of his sputum. Within doors ne must never,
under any circumstances: spit upon the nocl' M
employ bis pocket-handkerchief 10 receive ps
phlegn, but always and everywhere must use
proper spittoon. II he is absolutely faithful ~
the carrying out Of these precautions, he nay
accept the tranquillizing assurance that ne VIZ
neither injure himself nor prove q source oil penn
TO those around him.
Though mindful of the danger Of inierfeF,i!
with social arrangements, Cornet follows ogI NJ
preventive measures in considerable ee.sn-
lIand-splttoons with cover, he recomneruos.
not with the view OF preventing evaporation ea'
because flies have been known 10 carry lneeuOa
from open vessels. Without condemnlng the pla-
tice he does rot favor the disinfcction OF spula4
by carbolic acid and other chemicals, lie degr
Gates the use Of sand or sawdust in spttoons y.
aesthetic grounds he would have the spli'pSol,,
Of those who can afford it made ornamental ~ ~
earthenware saucers, such as those placed ah u.
hower-pots, are recommended for the use OF y.
poor. The cOnsumptiyc patient must taKf ~ Il.
that not only in his own house, but also ~ ~
offices and workshops where he may be enga;SI .
he is supplied with proper spittoon. IN pa.nii
buildings, rs in private houses, the corrllpH, -
staircases ought TO be well supplied win p.~
necessaries The ascent OF the stairs often ~
vOkes coughing and eXpectoration, and the h.,d
of disposing OF the phlegm ought TO be az naD a
The directors Of factories, and the pasrI
workshops, as we'll as the wOrkmen themosnss
ought to make sure that under no circumsuIu.,SS
shall splitting on the floor or into pocSe'h'"'