New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-11
DIR. HUNTERS LECTURE
ON THE coNrAGIoUsNEss OF
CONSUMPTION AND ITS
PREVENTION BY
cCCQEGATION.
SEGREGATION.

The Health Department mas ISSUED mo0
.s,oundinR edict on consumption which regard
nsound In doctrine unwarranted by facts and certain
10 nAct misery and injustice thousands OF citizens
without beneftihg any,
ON the mere ipse dixt OF Dr. Herman Biess Zone d
employees. In report prepared Al ''s own IN
stance, II Declares
First-That consumption Is contagious.
second-That it is communicable the sick to the
well. and
Th,ri-That 1t pre,entabie by the segregation q
those suffering from It.
These assumptions and all the differences drawn from
them know to be utterly untenable
7, consumption contagious II would necessarily
Increase from year year in greater ratio than the
increase OF population which It does not DO IL each
consumpve spread the disease by injecting others 10
health Il would be increased In each succeeding
nv the addition OF the numbers infected. We have
IN New York about six thousand deaths by COZ.
sumption in i.GjO.OOO Of population II these were
6OOO centres Infection next years mortality would b
increased by as many thousands thus infected.
for each case undoubtedly breed OF Others
az 4, ia lingering sickness which lasts for months and
years. and every moment Of that time would be throwing
or the germs the disease 10 infect others through the
DUST OF DRIED SPtTUM'' until the whole popula-
ton would become contaminated
But there Increase whatever on IN" contrary.
there are fewer deaths in each 10000 OF the population
OF New-York than there were fifty years ago. The
death tables OF the city OF London show the annual
deaths by lung diseases TO be now GIL In each 10000
OF population whereas hundred ago 10'9 died
from the same disease In each 100000 This 10 D.
crease OF more than per And must, too. be
remembered that OF the vexatons projections and
precautions which Health Board would have us be-
lieve are necessary guard the well from the sick
we're ever taken The above facts show the absurdi'y
of tho whole contention Consumption has always been
the most prevalent and dreaded Of all human dis
cases. II was fully described by Hppocrates and Ars
,o,e more than 300 years before the birth OF Christ
The annals OF medicine since then furnish no evidence
OF It's contagious character IL II be contagious now
was equally so 1000 years ago. and yet after 1t has
Ia ge1f
IN the WELL Il Is less prevalent than at the beginning
No disease tina. IS not contagious CAN be communi'
Gated from sick TIE we'll have spent my pro-
fessosl life for over years in the closest assoca
ton with people afflicted with all forms OF weak and
diseased lungs: have constantly exposed 10 their
breath and 10 emanatons from their expectoratlons
passing the chief part OF each day examining ther
chests and analyzng the matter thrown on from sher
lungs and never yet felt anything to make me
believe consumption infectious nv lungs remain sound
and none OF my family servants or assistants have es
shown a OF the disease.
The Health Department bases its deere. tn.
supported statements OF young physician In It's own
employ who according 10 THE WORLD. has been
studying consumption for four years. And that to.
through the Of microscope. When he has studied
It for 40 years. have done and gained the knooi-
edge by clinical experience and learned
something Of its statistics he will be much wiser and
cpine aghas the audacity Of his present opn-
ions.
The gst OF this preposterous decree will be found
prevented by segregation Segregation means separating
supposed have from their families and friends
and shutting them Ike lepers in pest houses under s
own control. lie, what this involves. There are
than twenty thousand consumptivcs In New-fok
alone Some are in the incipient stage. many In ne
second and others. again. in the last stage
or classes engaged In daily bust
pursuits and not few are the sole support OF their
families.
II any are taken every be. To rend asunder
twenty thousand families by taking the wife and mother
husband and father. beloved or daughter IN
to pest cared for by unsympathizing srans-
ers death shall release them OF their mseries does
not portray a 1.-THE Of the wrong that would lie done BY
carrying to its legitimate conclusion this decree
The Health Department makes no preence OF having
any remedy for the disease mode Of treatment
that would afford consumptves even chance FOR
lion aos expect to s6 SsPs; a II + any any
such GsO 4 be 70 s @ Sss:
Mort, or House O. Death.
@ ssss g
tves But II the public accepts It's dctgm and believes
Ss s s@a S
Sss' SSsT Logical e. as can the
eposy And such Is S s pI6r M put an
in a published Interview Consumption may b.
by visiting public places Therefore he would sxcud.
m .m TO- s s or o%n to h their 70 have
poyment by the side Of other workmen or 70 serve ,s
10 sleep any hotel or boarding h9use what then
"S And pr j. Jennings goes Step further says
s %Gs Som T5ss s ss MoRE
be 1ksS Then ean ' sseys Tia,
phrase Ts, used 30 years ago in G os 20 s
A he ia rAec en Was n If
which meant 70 gather all the diseased Gaue ,ser
and permit them to die secundem artem. would be
But We're every consumptiye to be thus killed on
thus wps be- IN past s2ss nere Would 'T n G be .
less FOR the SAM orSnch h a,aGss d a ,he urss
exposed TO the germs and consumption result ,,.,,,
Dtpar,nen; prefrssedy bases all It's conciasons I'D
doctrine rst promulgated in i72S by Dr. Martin ard
c9rmehae in 1896 ~ Professor Lana in s s.s and
counted the great viruence OF consumption in the
nS and during the ps, fy YEARS have appe IN
more than 10000 cases: embracing every form Of lung
Than ' was syer before believed possible
Eas only NIL lE SSn four Whom ysa ws as @1s n:
,hSss o the Health DEPARTMENT s first n;
claimed that consumption was a disease OF the whols
bIy Tss oy an sye mn IN me nNm aa &
the one AND ONLY cause o. consumption Is q.
bacillus feeding upon the internal surface OF the
lungs o.,.., ,,r,,,, ,,o,. ,,o,, ,..,...., u...
nog am ns s an ,a baTssy
true faith but alas like most new converts permit their
caused by germs and germs are be in the %.
ms be hs mD the p sSpsus0p hcs h' a
that the disease is spread from the sick to the we'll in
a
posterous assumption II consumption could
that way. the whole human would have been
terminated by II
viii tell you how 1t comes and may always be pre-
vented.
The air breathe Is filled with countless millions II
germs OF Infinite variety. They "A part Of and
were created and endowed with their for good
I'll by the Divine Architect who created
They ubiquitous. Professor Tyndall found them
az abundant In the air OF country city:
the tops OF the highest In the lowest val
ieys in the hottest countries OF the South the Ice
clad regions OF the North They play important part
In the destruction OF all dead matters and without
them probably. man could not exist
The particular that consumption Is one
OF these natural denzens OF the atmosphere We take
them into the lungs with breath draw. from
birth 10 old without knowing II and with perfect
impunity Like other tha< produce disease they
have no power to attack living. healthy tissues but
readily assail diseased and wounded Before they
can harm the lungs the lining OF the air tubes
and cells must first be abraded and surface *
posed In that raw surface they begin heir deadly
work.
delicate membrane. the eplthelum covers the inter-
nal surfaces the cucle the external skin
Wash your hands In alcohol and you feel no smart.
Abrade the Cutlcle Intense SmArtlng 10