New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14

The necessity for establishing rigorous quar-
antine against yellow fever cholera. smallpox
and other contagious diseases IS generally rocos
ulzcd. The cxpcdieucy Of adopting similar meas
urcs for the control and oXtirpation If 5coursrS
like pulmonary tuberculosis is, strangely enough,
not even a controversial question. When Yellow
lack unfurIs lis nae in Florida or Georgia Their"
is conservation, and tho Quarantine authorities
arc consur1l for relaxing necessary precautions
and safeguards But season after season, year
in and year out, pulmonary consumption Is a
scourcc in nearly every section Of the country
and nothing is done about it, In many localities
This single disease causes at least onesiXth ~
the aggregate number of deaths; yet. appalling
no the mortality Is. the health boards and the
medical profession seem 10 be Incapable ot '4A
Ing rcsoutc stand and making determined
Gght against consumption. With all The al
vonces Of medical science tins dread disease has
continued It's ravagcs, and all measures Tor de"-
ing with It and diminishing the mortality rate
have proved unayailing.
Dr Nathan Nutting, in n very able article in
"Iho North American Journal Of homeopathy.
offers as an explanation of this inaction and
apathy the widely prevalent opinion mat tuoercu'
losis is hereditary He considers Tins theory uH-
doubtedy erroneous. and contends that II would
be safer to assert that the prc1iSpoSition 10 Inc
disease. rather than tuberculosis Itself may De
inherited The distinction Is an important one
because 1t opens the way for consideration OF
climatic influences and quarantine measures a.
agencies for the extirpation of the disease. 80
long as 1t was the generally accepted theory mat
consumption was an inherited disease 1t WAS
regarded as n necessary evil. As soon rs inc
fact was established that il was contagious MS
ease which would be contracted by patients
either without hereditary faint or with only Il
predisposition for ii, the necessity for radical
change In methods of treating it was apparent.
The most eminent specialists Of The profession
and the most practical sanitary experts now
agree that measures for isoatins patients and
Systematically disnfcctng their rooms are indS-
pensablc.
If CONSUMPTION be contagious disease rs is
now generally admitted 10y the most scicntlilc
men Of the medical profession, it Is natural
inference that something like National quar-
autinc against 1t is essential This Is the bur
den of Dr. Nutting's paper. Assuming that the
ONLY method of treatment which has met WIN
any measure Of success is climatic relief afford
cd by dry atmosphere, an cquable temperature
and the possibility of outdoor life, he accepts the
conclusions Of committee appointed by the
! Medical Congress of France in 1850, 10 the cr-
feet that the Rio Grande valley of Central New
Mexico is a locality wherein the conditions for
| convalescence are found in the highest degree,
| only one other district, n comparatively small
territory in Northern Africa, comparing favor
| ably with it. His idea is that the time is not far
distant when consumption will be declared an
infectious disease and measures be taken to
uroyids Z National as well Is local cuaran tine.