The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-16
a I,recaution Against Consump.
finn

1t is now pretty we'll established
| that tuberculosis is an infective dis
| ease, and, if this is true, it is largely
| preVentable. We believe that in this
country especially there is not suffi-
| cient stress laid upon the commune
| cability of consumption; the people
are too apt to regard our climate
| Southern California; as Natures pan
| acea. Phthisical patients fairly
swarm upon us every winter, poison
| ing our hotels, our streets and our
! retains, according to SawiZky, it's
virulency two and half months.
Here, since the advent of the one
lunged Yankee, children die of men,
nights and youth of consumption.
This we are told by some to regard as
the unfathomable dispensation of a
wise Providence, when it rather
should be charged to the criminal
negligence of an easy-going public.
Persistent and systematic precau-
tions ought to be taken by both pub
lie officials and the people in general
to stop this scourge. The Health De-
ders, classifying this disease among
those usually placarded.
The room occupied by cOnsump-
tive should receive as thorough dis
infection as the one used by dipth-
theritic patient. If the phthisical
patient died in n week or two,
the quarantine should be demanded
and carried out. If the public
really thought consumption "catch-
ing" they would regard it just as
natural TO take precautions against
its spread as it is to stamp out
leprosy. To point of fact there is no
ri no a
ness of these diseases-tuberculos be-
ing much more communicable. \
campaign of education is needed.
All tuberculOus patients should be
compelled for the public good TO use
spit cups. Public spittoOns filled with
sawdust or other matter easily COM
bustible should be placed at cOnven-
lent intervals. The American has
been described as a splitting animal,
but he must be trained TO spit by law
only in specially prepared receptacles.
The old college saying, Those who
on the floor cannot expect
to rate as gentlemen" should be i'm
pressed upon all.
Then, again, the dust of the streets
ought to be removed frequently, but
only after a thorough sprinkling
Public hospitals for the tuberculous
poor ought to be established. In the
present state of affairs only a very
few of the very worst cases are treat
thousands wander about
the city polluting the very air with
the germs oil the greatest scOurge that
has ever afflicted mankind.
Hygienic treatment should be adj
vised in all cases. Preventive medi- |
cine is no longer the medicine of the |
future, but the medicine of today. |
Let us follow the example of Michi- !
gan, and officially declare consump- |
ton a contagious diseaae. Another |
point of great importance is the deny |
ing to consumptives the privilege of |
engaging in occupations whereby !
hey may endauger the life or heath
If others.
The sanitary inspection of cattle
md the condemnation of tuberculOus
COWS should be rigidly enforced. In
Iced, did our Government take half
he interest in preventing diseases
ImOng human beings that it does in
Ooking after the health of hogs and
attic there would be thousands of
ives saved annually.-Southern Cal
foruia Practitioner.