Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-06-02
CONSUMPTION.
Medical Science Now Asserts the Disease
is Not Hereditary.

Medical Science Now Asserts the Disease
is Not Hereditary.
The germ called the tubcrcle is the
germ which causes and which alone
can cause tuberculosis. 1t does not
exist in the body of men or animals
in health. Without the entrance OF
this particular germ into the human
body from without. tuberculosis can.
not develop in it. Without the trans
mission of this germ in some way or
other in Il living condition from the
sick to the well. tuberculosis cannot
spread. In the life story of this tiny
germ Ii" both the potency for mischief
which We dcplore and the secret of
our release from its bondage. The
tubcrclc bacillus is a little colorlcSS
rodlikc plant. so small that even
MANY thousands cf them piled together
would make Il heap still far too small
to be visible to the naked eye. 1t eau
not move about. nor can it grow with
out moisture. nor at ii temperature
much above or much below that of the
human body. The material on which
it feeds must he very nicely adapted
to its rruuircmcn $. and it has no lurk-
ing or growing places in nature out
side of the bodies of men and Il few
warm bloo,lcd animals. 1t can be cul.
tivatrd artiiicially in the laboratory.
and we know more about its life and
DrculiarilicS than about almost any
other germ. While it can remain alive
in II dried $ ate for many weeks, it is
readily killed by heat, by sunlight and
bv many of those chemical substances
which we call IiSinf"ctantS. 1t does
not flourish equally we'll in the bodies
of all human beings.
When once il gains lodgmcnt in IL
body suited to its growth it multiplicS
slowly. each germ dividing and sub
dividing. taking from the tissues ma
terial for its growth. and returning to
them certain subtle poisonS which
ii sets free The action of the tubcrclc
bacillus is peculiar in that it stimulates
the cells of the body. wherever it may
lodge and grow. to the formation of
little MASSES of new tissue which we
call tubrrclrS These tubcrclcS are,
as Il rule. short lived, and if the dis
ease progresses. tend to diSinlcgratc.
If the tubrrcIcS have grown in such
situations us make this possible rs in
the intestinal canal or the lungs. the
diSintc2ratrd and brokcn-down ma
tcrial often containing myradS of the
living germs. may be east off from the
body. In tuberculosis of the lungs, or
consumption, this waste material is
thrown off with the sputum. While
almost any part of the body may b"
affected. tuberculosis of the lungs is
bv far the most common form of ,hr
disease. 1t follows from what has
been said that the only way in which
we can acquire tuberculosis is by get
ting into our bodies tuberclc bacilli
from tubcrculHr men or animals. The
only animals liable to convey the dis
ease to man are tubrrculHr cat lc. Inl
these through the use of either meat
or milk. The danger from the use of
uncoOkcd meat or the unboilrd milk
from tubcrcular cattle is real and Scr-
Gus.
We have learned in the past few
wears one fact about tuberculosis
which of incalculable comfort to
many. and that is that the disease is
not hereditary. What has been through
all these years regarded as the strong
est proof of the hereditary transmits
sion of tuberculosis namely. the oc-
currcncc of the disease in several mem
berS of the same houSehold--iS. in the
new light, Imply the result of house
hold infcction-thc breathing of air
especially liable to contain the noXiOuS
germs. or their entrance in some other
way into the bodies of persons cS-
Deciallv sensitive to their presence. |
do not mean to imply that under no
conditions can the tubcrclc bacillus be
transmitted from the mother of the
child before its birth. In few i'll
stances this is believed to have hap
pened. But its occurrence is SO OK
trrmcly infre1ucnt that it may be re-
@ardcd as accidental, and of no serious
importance from our present point of
vicw.-Dr. II. Pruddcn Mitchell, i.
liarDer'S Magazine