Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-12-18
CONSUMPTION.
TRUTH ABOUT THIS DREADED
DISEASE.
Scientists Now Know That II Cannot Be inner
iled-fiow il Is Transmitted Death
Rate by States.
BY john $. BIlunE., surgeon, U. S. Army
For The Sunday Gazette,)


In common language tuberculosis and con.
sumption are used TO signify the disease
which physicians call phthisis pulmonalls
or tubercular disease OF the lungs. Not All
cases of gradual WASTING away, even when
accompanied by chronic cough, such as
most people would call cases OF consuup-
ton, arc due 10 tuberculosis, and ubcrcul-
osls includes several diseases that are not
commonly called consumption, In this pa
per the word consumption will be used as
equivalent TO tuberculosis of the lungs,
while tuberculosis will be used to include
I'LL diseases produced by the peculiar little
vegetable organism known as the bacillus
tuberculosis, consumption Included. This
bacillus may grow IN and produce disease
body-it is the cause of the peculiar innam-
nation of the membranes OF the brain In
young children known al acute hydroce-
phalus, or tubereular meningitis, or brain
fever; when Ii Affects chiefly the glands of
the neck the result is known us scrofuln--
aud Il Is the cause Of large part of 80
called spinal cArieA, hlp-joint diseases, etc.
United States about 1,fTO,00O people Of ali
ages and about u per cent OF these, or in
round numbers 163'sU0 will die us the re-
suit of tuberculosis. and this last figure In
cludes l4l 900 deaths from consumption,
12OOO deaths from tubercular meningitis,
ami 1Oauu from scrofua, tables nlesenterica
aud tubercular affections of the bones and
joints
Each Of these deaths represents at least
two years Of sickness that Is there are
to eagI ayain-whic1 means t.iat there are
now In the United States ut least $1,000
persons affected with tuberculosis, or about
one out Of every 200 persons living, taking
dr. prasgut population at 0J.Uu sf. 4uft
army OF sufferers must be cared for, and
their dead must be buried II we allow
$500 year as the cost OF medicines, medl-
cal attendance. food, nursing, etc, for each
sick person, and so for funeral expenses
In each case of death. we find that tuher-
cul0sis has cost tue country over SOS ,OOO,-
100 this year. This does not include indi-
rect damages due 10 loss OF labor, nor the
loss produced by tuberculosis In our cattle.
OF consumption alone. The greatest death
rate from this cause IL found in New York
city, where tho average annual rate for the
six years ending May 81, 1870. was 3.Yl per
1908. During the same period II was. in
Boston 1856; III Brooklyn. 2.9S, and In rhla-
deiphia, POI per 1900. During the year
ending May 81, 1890. 1t was In the District
of Columbia, 3.59, IN Delaware. 2g2. IN
Massachusetts, 2,61; In Rhode Island, 2.OB;
in New York state, 2.47i iu New Jersey,
2.34; in Connecticut, 2S3 in Vermont, 1.9S;
in New Hampshire. l.03 These are the
highest rates for the states, and these states
are the only ones which have a fairly COM
fairly compare with these the death rates
In the other states deducted from the emu
merators, because such returns are incom-
plete and inaccurate-but we viii give them,
as follows:
Maine, 2,29i Pennsylvania, l 40; Maryland,
2,22; Virginia. lS4; North Carolina. l.36:
s South Carolina, l.s$; Georgia, Lis Florida,
kansas, 1.07; Loulslana, 1.35; Texas. 0.O2;
West Virginia, liz; Ohio Ill lndiann,
LIP; Illinois, lbs Michigan, 1,31; Ken
tucEy, l,9o; Tennessee, 2.05; Iowa, Og5;
Minnesota, LII; Wisconsin, 11o; Missouri
1.32; Kansas O.05; Nebraska. 657: Mon
ttana. OIL; North Dakota, 0,Oi; South pa
kot0, Q.63; Utah, 0.2O: Altoona la; Colo
RADIO, l1S Idaho, o42 Nevada orc; New
Mexico, O02 California. 1885, Oregon OO7:
Washington, orb
All OF these last death rates are too low
except those for Florida and California,
which arc too hlgh, yet they may be taken
as showing TINT consumption Is more pre-
yalent IN the North Atlantic region than
sppi. 1t Affects the colored people more
than II does the whites IN the same locali-
ties, and the irish more than those Of other
races Il Is more prevalent In cities thnn
" the rural districts-but there Is u marked
ulnerence between the sexes in the nor
cities II causes out Of all deaths about 10
per cent In males, and IA per cent In fe-
males, while In the rural districts II causes
10 per cent In males and II per cent in fe-
males. The reason for This is that CON
sumption Is IN infectious disease being
propsgated mainly through the sputum, or
IT. rms sputum contains the bacillus tuber-
cmosi5 and Its spores In large numbers
ahd when II becomes dried and ground into
dust II Is carried into the air by currents
Of wind, or by sweeping and busting Of
the ordinary kind and Is then Inhaled and
ihe spores begin a fresh growth. Thus II
IS mat houses aud rooms become tubercul-
GUS ana such houses and rooms are more
frequent In the older settled and more
crowded localities; that they are more FIRE.
quent In The crowded tenement houses of
northern cities and among the negro shan
Yes OF the South than elsewhere; and that
women, who stay more In the house, and
~ IT,, my nurs9s OF the sick, are more liable
10 tnt ulsease than men.
IL a person inhalcs some Of the dried
OF puftlAlly dried, spores or rods OF the bacs
i LII OF tuoerele, the probability that he
ponds partly on the number OF such spores
Which he has inhaled and partly upon his
V ,i'a physigal condition. and especially on
I'VE e9ndltl9h OF the layer Of cells which
inlts nus ar passages. Probably the great
majority OF people living in cities inhale
more or less tuherclp germs In the course Of
I'VE years, yet one In 100 OF them becomes
tnlt. Certain persons seem predisposed
70 consumption, 20 use a common phrase-it
used TO he supposed that Tire disease was
nsTtlltnly pecHuEe such a large proportion
VI clses occurred In certain families. We
now know that the disense cannot be pro-
uuesl without the presence of the specific
passes from mother to child Many cases
OF supposed Inherited consumption are
ior The spores retain their vitality for years
put probably the blood and tissues of some /
persons are more favorable to the growth I
81 n, KS bacillus ;hPn others; aud the suscep-
iiniis,litec Moreover. this special suscep-
Ilel,ly can De aptilciaiiy produced, THIS |
= erected by rehreatl.ng air which has re |
N.nuy peen IN the lungs Of q man. II re-
lures some tine 70 produce this result !
wy the experience Of armies, where the :
soldiers are kept In unventilated barracks,
i.HnNls little room 10 doubt that long con /
unued breathing OF foul air produces a /
voAaluon IN the lungs that le specially IA !
lWfsaple TO the growth OF the tuhercle BAG I
iuua; Anything that produces chronic n
asAlou ana congestion Of tle lungs anu I
W. Passages ieuds 10 lower tue vitality " /
~, " Mlng cell layer, and TO make It y bet !
,hg, son ior the growth Of the germ. Heuee |
100, ,,g4y occupations which bring numbers oi !
people together IN M ventilated rooms and |
W., produce dusts, are especially liable |
~ lhluno tuberculosis, while those which |
ale carried gu clllny IN the OPEN air are !
ietole HtF from danger from this disease I
- ueNih rate from consumption among /
LINERS and hsher:nen Is leas than one /
KY urn mat from the SANG cause aniopg |
tbs,V uhttSFs nouers, ana printers, and lesi
nan half that Of the workers In cotton and
wgle,yn mills. The high death rate among
alhlgFs liz almost exclusively due to con- I
aYnlupuon Thp hahitual crlWlnul class y /
49, especially lnAle TO this disease and :
nv S,,V gts Jew ini or pfnltentiares that are
neg injected With It, !
Wnlhg now to other fcrmE o. tubercWT I
fssii. We md thai tteY occur IA iNeftl |
s es,-.liN IN much the same proportion q
son@llnlilQn, but TINT they appeal 20 ne |
N9'N connected With feof Than that dissRre /
skFfats % Ne tuberculosis rarely nnects I
9nroii, tni II u very q rTon IN cntue' wv /
Wy v. p, the most important queail9ns, SUI
ggiissartsleil Is as TO the extent IN when w
TIE nesh and milk OF tuberculops spinals !