Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-17
TUBERCULOSIS TALK.
Doctors Discuss the Active Disease Germ
Last Night
Difference in Susceptibility Between
gers From Railroad Trains.

At a largely attended meeting of the Medi-
cal Society Of the District, held at the Law
School Of the University of Georgetown
last evening the prevention and restriction
Of tubeyculosis was discussed. Surgeon
General Sternberg DIR. John S. Billings,
DR.. E. A. Won Schwenitz and Dr. w. w.
Johnston took part in the discussion. The
discussion arose upon the report submitted
to the society by Drs. Charles H. Stowen,
J. Fl. Bryan and E. A. Balloch a synopsis
of which was printed in The Star on Mon
day last. The discussion was a very inter-
est.ng and able one, and the society ad-
journed without it being completed. At the
next meeting of the society it will be con-
tinued. and 1t is then expected that a COM
mittee will be appointed to draft the cir
cular letter recommended by the commit
tee for distribution among the laity.
Surgeon General Sternberg was the first
speaker, and he Endorsed the recommended
tion of the committee that wards be set
apart in hospitals for the treatment of pa
tients suffering with the disease although
he did not consider them entirely neces-
sary He also Endorsed the recommends ton
OF the committee that circular letter for
the dissemination of information concerning
the disease to be drafted and distributed
among the people. But he thought that the
letter should be so carefully drawn not
10 defeat its object by exciting undue alarm.
The people should be informed of the nature
to avoid the disease and how to project
Others when they themselves were suffering
from 1t. He explained that most of his
work had been done in the laboratory. hav
Ing made numerous experiments with tuber-
culosis and tuberculin. He spoke of the
vitality of the germs of the disease, gave the
temperature at which they were destroyed
above 40 degrees centigrade. and remarked
that sunlight was destructive to the germs,
which in some parts would account for the
infrequency of the disease in hot countries.
Cool damp and cloudy localities were he
said, favorable for the propagation and
spread of the disease, thus accounting for
the great prevalence of the disease in sea-
board towns. He said that 1t was most m
portant that the patient should be fully ad-
vised as to the necessity for exercising the
utmost care with regard to expectora ton,
and, in referring again to the vitality of the
disease germs. remarked that they were not
nearly so easily stirred into action as those
or cholera or influenza.
Difference In Races.
DR.. Billings followed Surgeon General
Sternberg. stating that he did not agree with
the report that tuberculosis is not heredi-
tary to large extent. He thought that 1t
was and especially so from the mother.
Speaking of the susceptibility of the
different races to the disease he said
that 1t Is about twice as fatal
among the colored races as among
the whites, and three times as fatal among
CHliuTcn Oh lTlSn pAFeEtS as among Line
children OF Americans. 1t Is twice as fatal
among the Irish as compared with the Ger
mans. Out Of lW.OUO deaths among the
Germans. 295 were from tuberculosis
against 6e9 out of 1UO,OW deaths among the
colored people. With children of Irish pa
rents, Asa in each 10000 deaths Were due to
the disease: of German parents. ii3, and OF
American parents, only 1i2
The Poles, he asserted. were particularly
immune. Susceptibility among the different
races differed about equally with the sus-
ceptibility of different individuals and fam
lilies. Commercial travellers and criminal
lawyers were particularly susceptible to the
disease, the latter because of their close
contact with the lower classes and he men,
toned the Police Court of the District as a
ihost dangerous spot. He discouraged the
maintenance of so-called health resorts for
cohSumptiVes, and the segregation of con-
5r:aptives in them, referring to them as
veritable pest houses in some instances. In
such places those suffering from the disease
had most depressing influence upon
others. Referring to the statement in the
committees report, in which no tubercuie-
bacilli could be discerned, was dangerous to
young animals. DIR. Billings said that was
new TO him, and he could not understand
how such could be SO unless there was local
disease of the udder. Respecting the state
ment that the disease was diminishing in
the special consumption hospitals in En-
gland, he said II was also true that the dis
ease was diminishing all over the world.
Need of Care.
DIR. Billings was followed by Dr.
Schweinitz. VINO contended that milk from
tuberculous cows. even where no baciln
could be discovered in the milk, was danger
Gus. III support of his statement he quoted
DIR. Law of Cornell University In many
herds in the United States, tested with
Koch's tubercuiin, fifty to seventy per cent
OF the animals had been found affected
with tuberculosis.
DIR. w. w. Johnston followed, and in
speaking of the great danger from carpets
and upholstery retaining the bacilii, said
that there was no evidence Of anything
but the linen in sleeping cars being clean.
The carpets and upholstery were merely
ST aiken and beaten. and that led to dissent
nation of the disease. His reflections re-
ferred particularly to upholsterng street
cars and ocean steamers, and in sleeping
cars on railroads running TO and from re-