New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-03
rONSTIupTION INFECIIOCS.

CONSUMPTION INFECTOUS.
One of the most important reports ever SUD
mittcd to the Board of Health of this city Is
th,t I'm relation TO tuberculosis. DIR. Biggs re-
fers 70 the high mortality from this disease
over G.OW in IS.,2-as ndubtablc evidence of
the necessity for bringing it under the sanitary
surveillance of the department. The argument
il unanswcrablc If there had been G,oOo deaths
in this town from cholera during the same
pcriod it would have been regarded as plague
spot. and 1872 would have gone on record III
black letter as year Of pcsticnce WIN 'he
same mortality from tuberculosis ana WIFI
kindred diseases like bronchitis ana pheu-
monia fatal in corresponding degree, thcrc
&c no public alarm although the prevalence OF
these scourgcs points uncrringly to their IN
fcctiois nature For this popular apathy in the
presence of appalling diseases the boards OF
health and the medical profession are largely
RESPONSIBLE They have neglected to face facts
which are in plain sight. and to warn the COM
munity that tuberculosis is IN infectious dis-
ease directly communicable in the SICK room
from patient 10 nurse and friends.
br Riggs raises an alarm signal in his report.
He contends that tuberculosis is II contagious
disease. and is distinctly prcvcntable; that II Is
acquired 10y the direct transmission OF the
tubcrclc bacilli from the sick to the We'll usually
by means of the dried and pulvcrizcd sputuln
floating Us dust in the air. and that 1t can be
largely prevented by simple methods Of disin
lection These conclusions are accompanied by
practical recommended tions for securing official
surveillance Of the disease. One of the meas
=. Ia, ,IiShm mi Il
Consrlmptvc Hospital for exclusive treatment
of the disease Another is the isolation of pa
TENTS suffering from pulmonary consumption
I'm public hospitals Other recommendations
favor concerted action between physicians and
the sanitary authorities. 10y which bactero-
logical examinations Of sputum can be con
Quoted in private houses and tencmcns.
When Dr. Kochs conclusions respecting the
origin and righteousness of consumption were
announced. Il committee of the British Medical
Association addressed circular 10 the profes-
sion inviting opinions respecting the communi-
cabiIity Of the disease Although the theory
WAS then a novel one. there were POI replies
tending 10 confirm it aud giving practical Illus
tratons of the infectious nature Of the disease
\ large ma jorliy Of thcs" cases were instances
Of the communicability Of the disease from
husband To wife or from wife To husband. In
1870 out of l92 cases of this nature those To
whom the disease was impaired had no preis-
posing faint or tendency. one man who con
trnctcd consumption from his wife commune
Gated IL in turn 10 servant nursing MN. An
other instance indicated the spread of the dis
ease from "A young man 10 his sister, who took
care Of him. and then from her 10 Il companion
In excellent health
one of the best known cases recorded in the
medical books Is that OF n consumptivc French
drcssmakcr. who lived in cottage and piled
her trade She had three apprentices, young
women ~ different families AMI in rNbust
health Each In turn remained over night In
the cottage Il week nj time and shared the
dicssmakcrs bed. The drcssmaker died Of con
sumption after protractcd illness. Each OF
the apprentices contracted the disease from her
and died in the course Of a few years.
The medical profession Is aware Of the III
fictitious nature of consumption. but II * natural
" reluctant To add to the tcrrors Of this dread
ful scourgc by telling The truth about IL. When
600 patients are dying annually in Ncwiork
from tuberculosis the time has passed for hest
tatlon and silence The sanitary authorities and
the medical profession ough, to be- brought into
the closest possible relations in order that
measures for restricting the ravagrS OF con-
sumption may be- adopted II is highly prob
able that by the enforcement Of sanitary rcgu
lations providing thar consumptiyc patients
shall sleep alone and that their sick rooms shall
be systematically disnfccted. Il marked rcduc
ton in the mortality flom tuberculosis can be
,frocteI