The state herald., 1893-11-17
THEORY OF ISOLATION.
TO SHUT UP CONSERVATIVES.

widespread CONFEDERATION Among Con-
snmptives Caused by the Suggestion
| to Place Them In Special Hos.
pitais us u Means OF Pre-
venting the Spread d.
| tho Disease.
The recent action Of the Michigan State
Board OF Health In placing consumption OH
the list of contagious diseases aud requiring
safeguards to prevent its spread, Is causing
widespread newspaper discussion as 70 the
propriety OF similar action in other states.
Not only has the Michigan Board OF Health
taken this radical step, but tho County Med
ical Society, OF Philadelphia, has petitioncd
the Board of Health there to Isolate con-
sumptivcs. The Pan-Amcr.can Congress also
passed a resolution at the recent Washington
convention calling on the national govern
ment to take steps In the same direction, even
going so far as to ask President Cleveland TO
give his personal attention to the matter.
The result has been that national, state and
civic authorities have been appealed To-, there
by causing CONSERVATION to thousands OF con-
| sumplivps In every state In the Union, who
, are in terror lest they should be torn from
their homes and friends, and turned over TO
especial hospitals" which, in reality will be
| pesthouscs.
The turmoil which the proposition has Gre
| nted Is steadily increasing, and great wave
OF opposition Is appearing
Friends OF consumptlves declare that II iso-
lation Of tho patients Is attempted In special
| hospitals, numerous outragcs Will result and
| that not only will unfceling persons who want
10 get rid OF sick relatives, dump them vpou
the hospitals, but Vaccinations will arisc&t n
all, truA mn fnr
| Instance, afflicted by a cough, may suddenly
Hind themselves moved out Of their conpcti-
tors way, by judicial process which will
send them to the special corrumptivc hospital
| TO end their days
Some declare that while the appearance OF
smallpox or cholera In the land is the signal
for immediate, widespread alarm, and the In
nugura,ion OF severe represslve measures,
consumption which is always prcsen. and is
chronlcally epidemic, Is allowed to take nm
unchecked course, the people not realizing
that 1t Is FAR more deadly than any other dis
case, and Is slowly but surely increasing its
silent ravagcs. 1t Is claimed that US half OF
the people who have consumption do not re-
allie the fact, they spread false confidence
among their friends, who carclcssly allow
themselves TO come IN contact with the VIC
tins, and are, In turn, fatally infected.
The New York Herald commenting on the
subject quotes the action Of the Congress dc Ia
Tuberculosr, recently held in Paris, In which
the following resolution was adopted:
"In view OF the fact that life in common Of
consumptlves with the other patients ia the
hospitals Is dlsadvantageous both TO them
selves and others, and that the risks that they
run md 10 which they expose others arc not
compensated by any serious profit, the mem
bcrs of the Congress are OF the opinion that
Nil con.umptivc patients should be gathered
together IN special hospitals In groups, nc.
cor,lIng 10 the period Of their disease. aud
that these groaps should be rs small rs posi-
bic at the earliest stage OF the complaint.
sin consideration OF the fact that In the
present condition of the science continuous
and sufficient supply OF pure air Is one of the
most powerful elements In the treatment OF
tuberculosis, Il Is also advisable that these
hospitals should be built IN The country or at
the scashore.
FINALLY, as a transitory measure, to last us
short a time MS possible, consumptlvcs should,
for the time being, be united In special wards
In the hospitals, apart from those OF the other
patients, and the walls and furniture of these
wards should be dlslnfected ut stated inter-
yalsm
Another scheme for the Isolation OF con.
sumptlyes, which has just been announced by
the Denver iColo) Mems, Is TO the effect that
w. y. Byers, representing syndicate Of Bos-
ton capitalists, has applied at tho Office Of the
Colorado Land Commissioner for sections Of
land on which TO colopizc consumptivcs from
New England. The Idea Is to erect suitable
buildings and put the patients ut gentle work
attending to fruit and poultry, bee culture
and gardening, insisting all OF the time. upon
suitable physical exercise. The idea Is that
patients In the first stages OF consumption
might be benefited IN the mild, dry air Of
Colorado and that their light labors can be
turned 10 the pecunlary advantage Of the
syndicate.
The Cincinnati Post over year ago inter
csied itself In the question OF the causc OF
consumption and the possibility Of It's cure.
Since that time many newspapers have de-
voted attention to the subject.
Recent statistics, carefully gathered, have
shown that one-scycnth OF Gil the deaths In
the United States from disease are caused by
consumption, aud this startling fact, proml.
nchtly Presented, has served to increase the
agitation which has been aroused.
In order TO get at the opinions OF the lead.
Ing physicians Of Cincinnati on the lsics,
aspec, OF the case, |. g. that relating TO the
proposed isolation OF consumptlvcs, Inter
Views were secured with Drs. Whitaker, .lul.
kins, Amlck, Drumming and Others.
DIR. William Judkin. said; ri thoroughly
believe In the scheme for the isolation of con.
sumpiive patients. The bes, plan Is TO take
the patient out OF his home aud put him IN
house specially built for eonsumpilvcs. The
idea may seem harsh one, but II Ia certalnly
In the interrs, OF friends OF the sufferer. The
great trouble with the project would BE- 10
get patients In the irst stages OF the disease
10 so 10 such retreat Most OF them don't
believe that they have consumption. and you
cannot convince them 10 the eonirary.r
DR., Whitaker said; II 10 not approve Of
the ISOLATION proJcc, SIMPLY because | DO not
think II would 10 any practical good. lsola.
ilon, the taking away of n consumptiyc from
his home aud friends, would be rather Ia.
human
"ls every case Of consumption tho result OF
contact With some other ease, or Is the disoasc
sometimes sporadic, like cholcrair
mo. There Ia M ,uch thing NJ sporadic
consumption IL Is not even m Inherited
disease. Every case owes lis origin TO CON.
munieailop. Many eases OF consumption are
contracted at bcd-ides. One patient can give
II to twenty well persons. Strong men, with
no predi'positlon that way, get II. Why, one
OF the worst places 10 contract consumption
"a In po,toiiice corridor. A consumptlye
coming In splits on the floor. lie spread. the
germ, Of his discnse to be inhaled by others
who enter. There should he cuspiiors In
po-loilicos, In market houses and In all other
public places. Splitting by eonsumptycs upon
sidewalk. il not 40 dangerous, ~ tho open air
d'sscninates the germs more widely than IN u
bnildlngn
'Do you think that consumption 10 inetea,.
Ing or drercialngfr
Probably decreasing, on account Of better
methods n-ed In treating II. The newspapers
can do great good by calling attention 10 the
great dangers OF consumption and noting thu
necessity for greater care IN guarding against
tie disease. People nrc too careless. No
doubt Isolation would he Of benefit 10 patient.
and do good, but II could not lie enforced
Dr. ". II. hmick, who resigned His profess
tor.hlp In the tinclnnaii College OF Medicine
hnd surgery, held for seventeen years, 10 de-
vote h!m,cf 10 curing consumption, said,
81 niu. OF rour.r, opposed To isolation, be.
cause my theory Ia that consumption 10 not
directly produced by any outside chnsc. I
hold that the bacillus mlsrobr Is the effect, or
product, and not the cause 81 the disease, "a
u IL very evident, IN my opinion, that isnla.
ton would accomplish no good"
You mrnn 10 say. then, that the lnhAiing
~ the dred'np srutn, containing ihcsc NIL
crohcs, Il not harmful -
"oh the contrary" DIR. Amick replied,
"anS dust OF rrtraneons matter would pro.
dice mechanical Irritation Of the parts and
be likely ~ occasion iuns tfoublr-aA tho IN.
4 laHl. Al